June 22, 2026

A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) showing off the length of its extra long tail.

Impressed by the small size of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)? Perhaps the size of this Blue-gray Gnatcatcher will surprise you as well.

Their weights are quite similar, weighing in at a bit lighter than a few pennies. The Gnatcatcher is about an inch longer than the Hummer, but you have to consider its extremely long tail. That tail is about 2 inches in length and the bird’s body length is 4 to 4.5 inches. That is nearly one half of its total length.

The Gnatcatcher’s wingspan at 6.3 inches, is almost 50 percent wider than the Hummingibrd’s 3.1 to 4.3 inches.

All in all, both mighty little birds.

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