Gray Catbird Bird Facts (Dumetella carolinensis)

The Gray Catbird is a slender, medium-sized songbird with distinctive slate-gray plumage covering most of its body. It has a black cap on its head, a long dark tail, and a rusty-brown or chestnut patch under its tail.

Both males and females share identical coloration. Young birds (juveniles) are grayer overall with less distinct markings than adults, and notably lack the black cap and rich rusty undertail coloring. They quickly develop adult coloring in their first few months.

The Gray Catbird can be found in Woodland habitats.

The Gray Catbird can be found in Garden habitats.

The Gray Catbird is not typically found in Wetland habitats.

The Gray Catbird is not typically found in Coastal habitats.

The Gray Catbird can be found in Urban habitats.

The Gray Catbird is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

The Gray Catbird is not typically found in Grassland habitats.

The Gray Catbird is not typically found in Desert habitats.

The Gray Catbird is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

The Gray Catbird is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

The Gray Catbird is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

The Gray Catbird is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Gray Catbirds are found across much of North America, breeding in the eastern and central United States and southern Canada. They prefer dense, shrubby areas, including woodland edges, thickets, and overgrown gardens.

During winter, they migrate to the southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. In the US, they are common backyard birds in many eastern and central states during the breeding season.

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Gray Catbird. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons

Species that are present in the area during their breeding season

Canada United States of America

Species that are present in the area outside their breeding season

Belize Costa Rica Nicaragua

Species that pass through the area during migration

United States Minor Outlying Islands

Species that appear infrequently (rare) and unpredictably outside their normal range

Bermuda Germany Ireland Puerto Rico The United Kingdom US Virgin Islands

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Bird Attributes Explained

Our bird attributes system rates various aspects of a bird's capabilities on a scale of 0-100, based on data from field observations, scientific studies, and expert knowledge.

Attribute Categories:

Agility: Manoeuvrability, speed, and grace in flight or movement.
Strength: Physical power, often correlating with size and hunting abilities.
Adaptability: Ability to thrive in various environments or changing conditions.
Aggressiveness: Territorial behaviour and assertiveness, particularly during breeding seasons.
Endurance: Stamina, often seen in migration patterns or foraging behaviours.

Understanding the Ratings:

0-20: Very Low
21-40: Low
41-60: Average
61-80: High
81-100: Very High

Remember, these attributes are relative to other bird species and don't necessarily indicate superiority.

Agility

Reflects the bird's manoeuvrability, speed, and grace in flight or movement.

The Gray Catbird demonstrates impressive agility through its ability to hop and flit efficiently through dense shrubs and vegetation. Their skilled manoeuvring whilst foraging and their capacity to navigate thick undergrowth shows excellent spatial awareness and nimbleness.

Strength

Indicates the bird's physical power, often correlating with size and hunting abilities.

As a small to medium-sized songbird weighing between 23-56g, the Gray Catbird possesses modest strength. Whilst capable of building substantial nests and defending territory, their physical power is proportionate to their size class.

Adaptability

Represents the bird's ability to thrive in various environments or changing conditions.

Highly adaptable species, thriving in various habitats from woodland edges to urban gardens. Their omnivorous diet, ability to mimic over 40 bird species, and successful colonisation of human-modified environments demonstrates remarkable adaptability. Their recognition and removal of cowbird eggs also shows sophisticated adaptive behaviour.

Aggressiveness

Measures the bird's territorial behaviour and assertiveness, particularly during breeding seasons.

Whilst not overtly aggressive, Gray Catbirds display notable territorial behaviour, particularly during breeding season. They actively defend their nests and show bold behaviour towards potential threats, including larger birds and even humans, though they're not typically hostile without cause.

Endurance

Reflects the bird's stamina, often seen in migration patterns or foraging behaviours.

Their long-distance migration patterns and ability to maintain complex songs for extended periods demonstrate good endurance. They successfully navigate lengthy seasonal journeys between North America and Central America, whilst maintaining energy for breeding and territorial defence.

Gray Catbirds are omnivorous, with a diet consisting primarily of insects and berries. They forage on the ground and in shrubs, eating a variety of beetles, caterpillars, and spiders.

In late summer and fall, they switch to a more fruit-based diet, consuming blackberries, elderberries, and other small fruits.

Gray Catbirds are known for their cat-like mewing call, which they use frequently. They are often seen hopping and flitting through dense shrubs and low vegetation, foraging for insects and berries.

These birds are generally solitary but may form loose flocks during migration.

The Gray Catbird's most distinctive vocalization is its cat-like 'mew' call, which gives the species its name. Their song is a long, varied series of whistles, squeaks, and gurgles, often incorporating mimicry of other birds and even mechanical sounds.

Males can sing for several minutes without repeating phrases.

Gray Catbirds typically form monogamous pairs during the breeding season, which runs from late April to early August. Males attract females with a complex song that includes mimicry of other bird species.

The female builds a bulky cup-shaped nest in dense shrubs or small trees, using twigs, grass, and leaves. She lays 3-5 blue-green eggs and incubates them for about 12-13 days.

Both parents feed the nestlings, which fledge after 10-11 days. Gray Catbirds often raise two broods per season in the southern parts of their range.

The Gray Catbird typically lives for 2 to 3 years, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 17.9 years.

Like all birds, lifespan can be affected by factors including predation, habitat quality, disease, and access to food sources.

While Gray Catbirds are currently listed as Least Concern, they face threats from habitat loss due to urban development and agricultural expansion. Climate change may also affect their breeding and wintering grounds.

Conservation efforts focus on preserving shrubby habitats and promoting bird-friendly gardening practices.

Listen for their distinctive cat-like 'mew' call
Look for movement in dense shrubs and thickets
Check berry-producing plants, especially during late summer
In the US, visit woodland edges and gardens during breeding season
Observe early morning or late afternoon when they're most active

Gray Catbirds face predation from various animals, including domestic cats, hawks, owls, snakes, and squirrels. Nest predators also include Blue Jays and crows.

Gray Catbirds can mimic the calls of over 40 different species of birds.
They are known to recognize individual humans and may become quite bold around regular visitors to their territory.
Gray Catbirds are one of the few North American songbirds known to recognize and remove cowbird eggs from their nests.

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