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- Scientific Name: Dumetella carolinensis
- Population: 29 million
- Trend: Increasing
- Habitat: Dense thickets, brushy suburban areas, and gardens
A well-known member of the Mimidae (mimic) family of birds, which also includes well-known songbirds like the Northern Mockingbird and Sage Thrasher, is the gray catbird. The Gray Catbird mimics a range of sounds, just like its relatives, but it is most recognized for its mewing calls, which are similar to those of cats and give the species its common name.
The phrase “sitting in the catbird seat,” which describes someone in a favorable position, originated in the southern United States due to the gray catbird’s habit of singing while displaying from a high perch.
Dumetella, the genus name of the catbird, translates to “small thicket,” alluding to its favored habitat of dense bushes and thickets.
For the winter, gray catbirds travel to the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and the southern United States, where they inhabit the same shrubby environments as their breeding grounds.
A study by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC) found that nearly half of all catbird fledglings fell victim to free-roaming cats, while SMBCs catbird tracking study is providing more information on where the birds go on migration and what threats they face.
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(Audio: Hear the catbird’s mewling call and other birds imitating it.) Recorded by Paul Driver, XC248135. Accessible at www. xeno-canto. org/248135. ).
Gray Catbirds like to nest in open, second-growth forests with dense, regenerating vegetation, just like Prairie and Golden-winged Warblers do. They construct their hefty nests in thick undergrowth close to the ground. Unlike other birds, Gray Catbirds are able to identify Brown-headed Cowbird eggs and remove them from their nests, which reduces their susceptibility to this parasite that feeds on brooding birds.
Gray Catbirds typically raise two broods per season and are prolific nesters. Aggressive neighbors, they have been seen destroying the eggs and nestlings of several bird species, such as American Robins, Song Sparrows, and Vesper Sparrows. Researchers are unsure if this behavior is due to opportunistic foraging or competition.
It’s common to see gray catbirds foraging on the ground or in low shrubs and branches. They consume a wide variety of berries and fruits when they are available in addition to their diet of insects, larvae, and spiders.
Using their bills, Gray Catbirds flip over leaves, twigs, and other debris to find food, in contrast to other ground-feeding birds like the Black-throated Sparrow, which use their feet to scratch the ground in search of food.
The Gray Catbird is still a common species, but many of ABC’s conservation initiatives help it. Our Migratory Bird Program preserves significant wintering grounds, like Tapon Creek in Guatemala, where the Gray Catbird spends its winters with other migratory species like the Ovenbird and Kentucky Warbler.
The goal of ABC’s advocacy programs is to lessen or eliminate the deadly barriers that catbirds and other neotropical migrants, such as Blue-winged Warblers, face. These programs include Cats Indoors, Glass Collisions, and Bird-Smart Wind.
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- Population: 500,000 5 million
- Trend: Probably declining based on habitat loss
- Population: Unknown
- Trend: Probably declining based on habitat loss
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