The Status and Occurrence of Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) in British Columbia. By Rick Toochin and Don Cecile. Revised: December 10, 2024.

The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  is a small passerine found breeding across North America from Florida up the east coast to southern Maine, into southern Quebec, through southern Ontario, south through Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, part of Colorado, Wyoming, parts of Montana, southern Idaho, Oregon, with birds breeding south into Mexico (Dunn and Alderfer 2011). The entire northern population is migratory and most winter from Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Southern Texas into Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica (Kershner et al. 2012). North of Oregon, this species is an accidental vagrant. In Washington State, there are 13 accepted records of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher by the Washington Bird Records Committee (Wahl et al. 2005, WBRC 2012). In British Columbia, the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is an accidental vagrant with 25 Provincial records (Toochin et al. 2014a, see Table 1). There are scattered records from Alberta and Manitoba (Kershner et al. 2012). The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is a rare vagrant to the Maritime Provinces (Dunn and Alderfer 2011).

The identification of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is covered in all standard North American field guides. In the context of British Columbia, there is no other species that looks like the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher so identification should be fairly straight-forward. The following description is taken from Kershner et al. (2012). The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is a very small, bluish gray, long-tailed songbird. This species measures in total length 10.0 to 11.5 cm; and weights in mass 5 to 7 grams. The males and females look very similar to each other in basic plumage, but males are distinguished from females in alternate plumage (January-August) by a black forehead and supercilium. The tail constitutes over 45% of the bird’s total length. The bill is fine-tipped and narrow with a slight lateral flattening at the bill base surrounded by prominent rictal bristles. The upperparts on adult birds are bluish to ultramarine colour. There is a prominent white eye-ring with the underparts white. The tail is black with the outer rectrices edged with white. The tail is frequently fanned showing the white edges. Juvenile birds are washed grayish overall with a fleshy gape and a loosely-textured contour in the feathers.

 

The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher makes a loud explosive “pwee” call note. The song is a series of high, thin, notes, chip and buzzy notes (Sibley 2000).

 

The only species in British Columbia that remotely looks like the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is the Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus). This species is about the same size and measures 11 cm (Dunn and Alderfer 2011). The Bushtit is overall gray in colour, with a brownish crown and a small black bill (Sibley 2000). There is a dark line that goes from the base of the bill to the eye (Dunn and Alderfer 2011). The legs and feet are black (Sibley 2000). Though similar in size and shape, the Bushtit should not pose any confusion with a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

In British Columbia, the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is an accidental species with 29 Provincial records (Toochin et al. 2014a, see Table 1). There are records from a number of regions of the Province with Vancouver Island having the most records with 14 records, there are 6 records for the Vancouver Area, there is 3 record from the Fraser Valley, there are 2 from the Sunshine Coast, and there are 5 records for the interior with 2 records coming from Kelowna, and single records coming from Keremeos, Nakusp and Pemberton (Toochin et al. 2014a, see Table 1). This species turns up in British Columbia predominantly in the fall with 24 records occurring from August to December (Toochin et al. 2014a, see Table 1 and Table 2). There is 1 record for May, 3 records for June, and 1 record for the month of July (Toochin et al. 2014a, see Table 1 and Table 2). Most occurrences of the Blue-gray Gnatcatchers found in the Province are with mixed flocks of Kinglets, Chickadees or Bushtits, but they can also be found on their own (Campbell et al. 2007). The pattern of vagrancy found in British Columbia is repeated in Washington State where 9 of the 13 state records come from the August to November time period (Wahl et al. 2005, WBRC 2012). There are also 3 summer records spanning from May –July and a single February record (Wahl et al. 2005, WBRC 2012). Observers should watch for this species in the future as the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher breeds as close as Oregon and has a clear pattern of wandering north of its common range. Whenever possible it is also encouraged that observers try to photograph and document sightings of this little southern visitor if they find it anywhere in British Columbia.

1.(1) adult November 10-11, 1963: A. R. Davidson, mobs (BC Photo 78) Uplands Park, Victoria (Anonymous 1963, Boggs and Boggs 1964a, Davidson 1966, Roberson 1980)

2.(1) adult November 19-December 1, 1981: D. Mike Price, mobs (BC Photo 775)  Kitsilano Park, Vancouver (Campbell 1982b, Mattocks and Hunn 1982a, Campbell et al. 1997)

3.(1) adult August 1, 1983: R. and F. Stoba: Saanich, Victoria (Hunn and Mattocks 1984)

4.(1) adult October 24, 1984: Peggy Irving, Muriel Upshall : 1234  W. 14th Ave, Vancouver (Toochin et al. 2014c)

5.(1) adult male June 12­-13, 1994: Sandra Scott Sutherland, mobs: Bowen Island (Bain 1994d, Bowling 1994, Plath 2000, Toochin et al. 2014c)

6.(1) adult male August 5-6, 2002: David Woodward, mobs (photo) RPBO, Metchosin (Cecile 2003a, Toochin et al. 2014b)

7.(1) female September 4, 2006: Quentin Brown, Murray MacDonald: Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Ladner (Cecile 2007a, Toochin et al. 2014c)

8.(1) adult November 14-25, 2006: Gary Davidson, mobs (photo) Nakusp (Cecile 2007a, Davidson 2007a)

9.(1) female September 25, 2007: Rick Toochin: West Coast Road, Shirley (Toochin et al. 2014b)

10.(1) female October 28, 2007: Mary Robichaud, mobs (photo) Lagoon Rd., Esquimalt Lagoon, Victoria (Toochin et al. 2014b) [likely same bird as above]

11.(1) adult May 21, 2011: Chris MacDonald (photo) Keremeos (Toochin et al. 2014a)

12.(1) female December 3-8, 2011: Steven Roias, and other observers: Beacon Hill Park, Victoria (Toochin et al. 2014b)

13.(1) adult June 28, 2012: John Tschopp : Pemberton (Toochin et al. 2014a)

14.(1) female October 1-December 9, 2012: Steven Roias, and other observers: Swan Lake, Victoria (Toochin et al. 2014b)

15.(1) adult male June 30, 2014: Rick Toochin (FN) Delair Park, Abbotsford (R. Toochin Pers. Comm.)

16.(1) female/immature October 16, 2015: Kevin Louth, mobs (photo) between 96th – 104th St., Boundary Bay, Delta (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

17.(1) female/immature November 2, 2015: Mike and Barb McGrenere, mobs (photo) Chinese  Cemetery, Victoria (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

18.(1) female/immature October 28, 2016: Michael Shepard: 320 Main St., Tofino (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

      (1) female/immature November 11, 2016: Ian Cruickshank (photo) Stubbs Island, Tofino (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

19.(1) adult October 17-19, 2017: John Hodges: 1580 Field Rd., Wilson Creek Estuary, Sechelt (J. Hodges Pers. Comm.)

20.(1) adult female July 24, 2018: Ann Nightingale (photo) Rocky Point Bird Observatory, Metchosin (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

21.(1) female/immature September 10, 2018: Rick Toochin, Louis Haviland: Deroche (R. Toochin Pers. Comm.)

22.(1) immature November 5-27, 2018: Chris Charlesworth, mobs (photo) Kelowna (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

23.(1) immature November 5-15, 2019: John Gordon, Carlo Giovanella, mobs (photo) Maplewood Conservation Area, North Vancouver (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

24.(1) female/immature September 9, 2021: Rick Toochin, Al Russell (FN) Fore Road, Matsqui (R. Toochin Pers. Comm.)

25.(1) immature November 4-22, 2021: Huw Williams, mobs (photo) Munson Pond, Kelowna (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

26.(1) immature December 2, 2022: Marc Sole (photo/video) Field Road, Sechelt (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)
27.(1) female/immature September 24, 2023: David Bell, James Kennedy (photo) Jordan River (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)
28.(1) female/immature September 29, 2023: David Bell, mobs (photo) Rocky Point Bird Observatory, Metchosin (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

29.(1) female/immature October 9-December 6, 2023: Geoffrey Newell, mobs (photo) Uplands Park, Victoria (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)  

30.(1) female/immature December 3-8, 2024: Mike, Barb, and Kimberly McGrenere (photo) Squamish Estuary (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

Hypothetical Records:

1.(1) adult December 30, 1979: Adrian Dorst: Chesterman’s Beach (Toochin et al. 2014b)

2.(1) adult male June 29, 2005: Don Wilshere:  Port Alberni (Toochin et al. 2014b)

3.(1) [heard only] August 18, 2002: David Allinson: RPBO, Metchosin (Toochin et al. 2014b)

4.(1) male December 14, 2005: Brooks Road, Chilliwack (Toochin et al. 2014a)
5.(1) no details June 19, 2024: Dana Arthurs: Macadam Park, Cowichan Valley (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

We wish to thank Gary Davidson for allowing us the use of his photograph of a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher from Nakusp. We also want to thank Peter Candido for allowing us to use his photograph of a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher from the dyke at Boundary Bay. All photos are used with permission of the photographer and are fully protected by copyright law. Photographs are not to be reproduced, published or retransmitted on any website without the authorization of the photographer.

 

Anonymous. 1963.  Birds for the record, October and November 1963. Victoria Naturalist 20(4): 48-49.

 

Bain, M. 1994d.  Cross Canada Round-up: June and July 1994 - British Columbia. Birders Journal 3: 173-174.

 

Boggs, B. and E. Boggs. 1964a. The fall migration – northern Pacific coast region. Audubon Field Notes. 18: 65-68.

 

Bowling, J. 1994. Summer season: June 1-July 31, 1994- British Columbia/Yukon region. North American Field Notes 48: 979-981.

 

Campbell, R. W. 1982b. Wildlife atlases progress report. B.C. Naturalist 20(2): 8-10.

 

Campbell, R. W., N. K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, J. M. Cooper, G. W. Kaiser, M. C. E. McNall, and G. E. J. Smith. 1997. The Birds of British Columbia – Volume 3 (Passerines [Flycatchers through Vireos]). Vancouver: UBC Press.

 

Cecile, D. 2003a. Fall season – British Columbia & Yukon. North American Birds 57: 105-106.

 

Cecile, D. 2007a. Fall season- British Columbia. North American Birds 61: 124-126.

 

Davidson, A. R. 1966. Annotated list of the birds of southern Vancouver Island. Victoria Natural History Society, Victoria, British Columbia. 23pp.

 

Davidson, G. S. 2007a. Current status of Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in British Columbia. Wildlife Afield 4(1): 38-42.

 

Dunn, J. L. and J. Alderfer. 2011. National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America. National Geographic Society, Washington D.C. 574pp.

 

Kershner, Eric L. and Walter G. Ellison. 2012. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea), The  Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology [Online Resource] Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/023 [Accessed: May 30, 2015].

 

Mattocks, P. W., and E. Hunn. 1982a. The winter season – northern Pacific coast region. American Birds 36: 323-325.

 

Plath, T. 2000. Vancouver Bird records Committee Report 1994-1998. Vancouver Natural History Society Discovery 29: 41-57.

 

Roberson, D. 1980. Rare Birds of the West Coast of North America. Pacific Grove: Woodcock Publications. 

 

Sibley, D. A. 2000. The Sibley field guide to birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 545pp.

 

Toochin, R., J. Fenneman and P. Levesque. 2014a. British Columbia rare bird records: January 1, 2014: 3rd Edition. [Online resource] Retrieved from http://www.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/documents/BCRareBirdListJanuary2014XZBC.pdf [Accessed: May 24, 2015].

 

Toochin, R., P. Levesque, and J. Fenneman. 2014b. Rare Birds of Vancouver Island: January 1, 2014: 2nd Edition. [Online resource] Retrieved from http://www.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/documents/RareBirdRecordsofVancouver%20IslandVersionXZAB.pdf [Accessed: May 24, 2015].

 

Toochin, R., P. Levesque and J. Fenneman 2014c. Checklist of the Rare Birds of the Vancouver  Area: Casual and Accidental Records. January 1, 2014: 2nd Revised Edition. [Online resource] Retrieved from http://ibis.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/documents/BirdsRareVancouverXZAB.pdf [Accessed: January 2, 2015].

 

Wahl, T. R, B. Tweit, and S. Mlodinow. 2005. Birds of Washington: Status and Distribution. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, Oregon. 436pp.

 

WBRC. 2012. Washington Bird Records Committee – Summary of Decisions. Washington Ornithological Society, Seattle, WA. [Online resource]  http://www.wos.org/wbrcsummaries.html. [Accessed: May 24, 2015].