How to Identify aGray Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis · 8.3–9.4 in (21–24 cm)
Male vs. female
Male
Uniform slate-gray with a black cap and a chestnut patch beneath the tail.
Female
Identical to the male in the field.
Male photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Second photo: Peterwchen / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Field marks
- All-over slate gray
- Black cap
- Rufous (rusty) undertail coverts
- Long tail often cocked; skulks in thickets
Similar species
What it sounds like
A catlike, whining "mew", plus a long rambling improvisation of squeaks and imitations.
Behaviour that gives it away
Recognises and throws out Brown-headed Cowbird eggs, which most songbirds fail to do.
Habitat & range
Dense shrubs, hedgerows, and woodland edges across the eastern and central U.S. in summer.
When you'll see it
A summer visitor that arrives to breed in eastern and central North America.
What it eats
Insects and berries gathered low in thick cover.
Did you know?
Its catlike "mew" gives the bird its name, but it also mimics other species like a mockingbird.
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