A slate-gray songbird with a black cap and rusty undertail — named for its squeaky mewing call. Catbirds are skilled mimics, weaving snippets of other birds into long rambling songs.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The gray catbird, also spelled grey catbird, is a medium-sized North American and Central American perching bird of the mimid family. It is the only member of the "catbird" genus Dumetella. Like the black catbird, it is among the basal lineages of the Mimidae, probably a closer relative of the Caribbean thrasher and trembler assemblage than of the mockingbirds and Toxostoma thrashers. In some areas it is known as the slate-colored mockingbird.
Source: Wikipedia — Gray catbird Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Slate-gray songbird with darker cap and rufous undertail.
Similar species. Northern Mockingbird. Mourning Dove (different shape).
Voice. Cat-like mewing call. Complex mimicry song.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Insects (caterpillars, beetles), berries, fruits.
Behavior. Mimics other birds despite the name. Forages by leaf-flipping.
§ Range
Across the US and southern Canada in summer; winters in southeast US, Caribbean, Central America
§ Habitat
Dense shrubby areas, hedgerows, brushy thickets, suburban gardens
§ Threats
Loss of dense shrubby habitat in suburbs, window strikes, cat predation.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the gray catbird is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Maintain native shrub thickets in your yard. Use window decals. Keep cats indoors.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Gray catbird
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Dumetella carolinensis
- IUCN Red List · taxon 22711011
- iNaturalist · taxon 13041
- eBird · grycat
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Dumetella carolinensis
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List 2018
