The coastal California gnatcatcher is a small songbird that measures 4.5 inches (11 cm) and weighs up to .2 ounces (6 grams).

[4][5] Male gnatcatchers develop a black cap during the summer that is not present in the winter months.

Some insects include ants, flies, moths, true bugs, beetles, caterpillars, and spiders.

[8] The gnatcatcher is non-migratory, and because of this it is only found in coastal southern California and northwestern Mexico.

Within North-Western Mexico, its range goes to El Rosario, although is mostly centered in Baja California.

The nests are generally made up of grasses, bark strips, small leaves, spider webs, and down.

Several months after leaving their birth nest fledglings are dependent on or closely located to their parents.

[2] Fledgling gnatcatchers can spread out distances up to 22 kilometers (14 miles) away from their parents across broken up sage scrub.

The petitions stated that the gnatcatcher's population size was very low and the critical habitat had shrunk greatly.

The petitions also stated that the critical habitat had also broken into pieces due to human activities.

The main danger to survival of the coastal California gnatcatcher is human activity.

Recent studies show that up to 90% of the Gnatcatcher habitat has been destroyed as a result of urban and agricultural development.

[2] Continued human expansion into coastal sage scrub, will negatively affect the remaining habitat.

The main natural impact is wildfires that destroy coastal sage scrub, shrinking the gnatcatcher's habitat.

[7] There are some state laws and policies that affect the coastal California gnatcatcher: California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), The Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP) Act, and Regulatory Mechanisms in Mexico.

[5] There have been some unsuccessful efforts to remove the gnatcatcher from the Endangered Species Act to reduce its protections.