The Carolinian Catbird

Written By: William McReynolds - Highlands Plateau Audubon Society | Issue: 2020/07 – July | Photograph By: William McReynolds

The Gray Catbird gets its vernacular name from its distinctive vocalization that sounds like a cat’s mew. Not somewhat like a cat’s mew, the call is a clear feline “mew.” Prepare to be surprised. 

The Catbird’s formidable Latin name is Dumetella carolinensis, which refers to its being a small thornbush dweller in the Carolinas. Yes, it’s a Carolinian. Not our state bird, but an avian namesake and backyard delight. 

This neotropical migrant, protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty, is widespread and plentiful in the eastern and northern U.S. and Canada. Catbirds that breed in the upper Midwest winter in Central America. Those that nest in the mid-Atlantic and New England winter in Florida and the Caribbean.

Their plumage is as pictured: lead gray with a black cap, black beak, eyes, legs and feet. Rarely seen is a chestnut red patch under the long black tail. Females are indistinguishable from males except in nesting behavior. The nest, a cup near ground level in the woods, holds two or three light blue eggs. Both parents feed the hatchlings. 

Catbirds eat berries and fruit, comprising 50 percent of their diet, as well as insects and seeds. They forage at ground level in leaf litter, shrubs and bushes. Offer them soaked raisins or orange slices and you’ll make their day.

These birds are first cousins to mockingbirds. Their songs and calls are similar to those of mockingbirds with two exceptions.  

First, catbirds “mew” and that is an unmistakable field sign.  

Second, mockingbirds repeat vocal phrases and catbirds do not repeat. Catbirds have a vocal repertoire of 100 different sounds. Its long and varied song can last 10 minutes. Like mockingbirds, they are profuse imitators of other birds. Ornithologists have theorized that extensive vocal mimicking makes males attractive to females as a sign of “having been around.” Come to think of it, some human females are attracted to human males who can sing Italian, French and German arias. Such is the singular fabric of life.

Careful banding and tracking have revealed that catbirds return to the same breeding ground year after year. Only 60 percent of catbirds survive from one year to the next. The oldest known (banded) catbird had lived 17 years and 11 months.

Happy July birding from the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society. Birds and birders are natural social distancers. Watch the bushes and shrubs and listen for the characteristic “mew” to spot this bird.

The mission of the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society is to provide opportunities to enjoy and learn about birds and other wildlife and to promote conservation and restoration of the habitats that support them. HPAS is a 501(c)(3) organization, a Chapter of the National Audubon Society. Visit highlandsaudubonsociety.org for information on membership and all activities.