The California Gnatcatcher

The California Gnatcatcher, or in more scientific terms, known as the Polioptila californica, is a very cute and small bird that is native to the San Diego area. This species has not been native for very long though, because it recently became its own species that split from the Black-tailed Gnatcatcher from the desert areas.
This bird is very tiny, since it is only about four inches. The California Gnatcatcher is a insectivore, meaning that it only consumes small bugs and insects. This bird is very distinctive because of its small size, and also its unique colors. The top of the head, known as the crown, is black along with the long and skinny beak. On the underside of the bird, it's mostly white, or grayish. The female California Gnatcatchers are very similar to the males, but have a blue-gray crown and beak, instead of a black one.
This bird mostly stays near the coasts, as it is known to be a native to San Diego, and also to some parts of Baja Mexico. Unlike most birds, the California Gnatcatcher does not migrate. This bird mostly stays in one place, all year long.

While this bird is definitely a resident of San Diego, there have been some close calls with this small little bird. It was listed as Threatened in 1993 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. This specific species was especially effected by the building of cities and the knocking down of trees that act as housing for these small birds. In the San Diego area, there has been so much growth in the different cities, and as a result, this little bird has suffered. While it is very clear that many people did not build buildings to completely wipe out the California Gnatcatcher population, there still should have been more precautions taken to ensure that these animals would be more protected. There have been some state parks and national forests that have reserved parts of it to help with the population of the California Gnatcatcher, but there should be more people like you and I that are educated on these small problems. We as residents of the San Diego area need to realize that the extinction of another species would not be beneficial in any way. We can all do our part by putting in that extra effort of trying to support our local state parks, and forests. Since we are in the San Diego area, we can all directly effect how the California Gnatcatcher lives, or even in some cases, how it doesn't live. If you are a resident of the San Diego area, just know that even having the knowledge about this problem is better than not knowing about it at all.