What does the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher song sound like?

Polioptila caerulea

Song Common Migrant

Play the real Blue-gray Gnatcatcher song, the "spee-spee-spee", and learn what to listen for.

“spee-spee-spee”

What the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher song sounds like

A thin, wheezy, rambling series of notes that rises and falls in pitch. Not particularly musical and easily overlooked. Males sing most frequently during territory establishment and early breeding season.

“spee-spee-spee”

How to find the bird singing it

Found in a variety of wooded habitats including open deciduous woodlands, mixed forests, pine-oak woodlands, riparian corridors, and scrubby areas. In the eastern United States, often associated with oak forests. In the West, found in pinyon-juniper woodlands, mesquite, and desert riparian areas.

Size and Shape: Tiny (4-5 inches long) with a slender body, small head, and notably long tail that is often flicked from side to side or cocked upward.
Coloration: Blue-gray upperparts and grayish-white underparts. Males have a black forehead and eyebrow during breeding season. Both sexes have a white eyering and black tail with white outer tail feathers.
Behavior: Constantly active, moving through foliage with quick, nervous movements. Frequently flicks tail while foraging. Often holds tail cocked upward.

When you'll hear it

Breeding

March to August across much of the United States and parts of southern Canada.

Migration

Spring migration in March-April; fall migration in August-September.

Winter

Southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.

Don’t confuse it with

Birds whose song gets mistaken for this one. Play them back to back.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Olive-green rather than blue-gray.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher song FAQ

What does a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher song sound like?

How do I tell a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher from a Black-tailed Gnatcatcher by ear?

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher: Found only in southwestern United States and Mexico.; Males have black cap rather than just black forehead and eyebrow..

When is the best time to hear the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher song?

Breeds from March to August depending on latitude. Northern populations arrive on breeding grounds in April and depart by September. Year-round residents in southern range may begin nesting as early as February.

More Blue-gray Gnatcatcher sounds

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: the full species pageEvery sound we have, field marks, habitat and similar species.How to Learn Bird Songs by Ear: A Gentle Two-Week MethodLearning bird songs by ear sounds intimidating until you realize you already know a few — that robin in your yard, the chickadee at the feeder. Here is the gentle on-ramp: seven birds to learn first, a memory trick that works even if you cannot carry a tune, and a ten-minute-a-day rhythm that turns spring noise into named neighbors.How to Learn Bird Calls Fast: A 7-Day Spring PlanYou have seven days. You want seven birds. This is the plan: one new song per day, a mnemonic per bird, ten minutes you steal from your coffee break. Sunday-to-Sunday, you walk outside and a name lands in your head before you have time to think about it.The Dawn Chorus: Which Birds Sing First Each Morning (And Why)Every morning, as the first light touches the sky, birds like the American Robin and Northern Cardinal begin their symphony. But why do they choose dawn for their most vigorous singing?