The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher uses lichens as some of its nest-building materials. The lichens offer a natural camouflage.
An Intricate Bird Nest
![This small Blue-gray Gnatcatcher nest from the previous season was found on the ground at the Beltsville Agriculture Research Center. The nest is made of lichens, hair and spiderwebs.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bfb8abf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/800x595+0+0/resize/880x655!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fwltr%2Ffiles%2F201606%2FBlue_gray_gnatcatcher_nest.jpg)
Hannah Sutton/USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab, Maryland
The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher uses lichens as some of its nest-building materials. The lichens offer a natural camouflage.