The Gray Catbird is an interesting bird because of its catty mew. Once you hear it you can’t forget it. Gray Catbirds are related to mockingbirds & thrashers, they all share the same vocal abilities, copying the sounds of other species & putting them together to make a song of their own. Its length is 21 to 24 cm. Its breeding seasons are April through early August.  The Gray Catbird is grey but it has a red under part of the tail. The adult gray catbirds differ. An example is it can have a gray body, wings, & tail, fairly long legged with a dark cap with a long dark tail with reddish under tail coverts & a straight bill. It has a catty mew. It is medium-sized, slender songbird. It is an energetic bird but also secretive. The singing males prefer a quick, low flight over vegetation.

 

Gray Catbirds have an extensive range from Southern Canada, east & central United States to the Gulf States. Gray Catbirds usually will be found in dense tangles of shrubs, small trees, & vines, along forests edges, streamside thickest, old fields, & fencerows. The population has a stable population. The conservation status is least concern.  The role in the food web for the adult Gray Catbird is its prey for Cooper’s hawk, peregrine falcons, & the red-tailed hawks. It eats insects such as ants, beetles, grasshoppers, holly berries, poison ivy, green brier, & many other things. They compete with each other for food. To not be eaten, the adult Gray Catbird flashes its wings & tail aggressively & makes a “quirt” & “mew” call.

 

In conclusion, the gray catbird’s song may last up to ten minutes & dumetella means “small thickest”. Also, the oldest known Gray Catbird lived to be 17 years 11 months old.

 

Author: Matt F. 

Published: 2-19-14

 

Sources:

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/gray_catbird/id

www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/gray_catbird

animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Dumetella_carolinesis

 

Photo Credit: Bill Hubick