Black-capped Gnatcatcher (Polioptila nigriceps), California Gulch, Santa Cruz County

Black-capped Gnatcatcher is a casual to rare species in Arizona that has become resident and breeds in limited areas in southeast Arizona. Since October 2002 when a pair was found at Patagonia Lake State Park there has been a substantial increase in their numbers in the state. There have been previous reports and records of the species in California Gulch, but none since 2005. This individual was spotted by Jerry Bock, Dave Stejskal and Mark Stevenson on 24 June 2008 and photographed by Mark.

This adult male shows the black cap, long bill, scant eyering and white underside of the tail with graduated rectrix length that identify the species in the U.S. Apparent hybrid individuals (and mixed nesting pairs) have been found. The hybrids have shown an intermediate tail pattern.

Submitting photos to AZFO does not constitute reporting a rare bird for consideration as an official record. To ensure that a record becomes official, details or photos of Sketch Details Species should be sent to the Editors of North American Birds and a full report of Review Species should be submitted to the Arizona Bird Committee. Most rare birds are under _documented and subsequent observers of a rarity are always encouraged to submit reports and additional photos, especially for birds that are challenging to identify.

24 June 2008, photo by Mark Stevenson