Bird Highlight 1, Grey Catbird

Grey Catbird 

Dumetella carolinensis  

Adult Catbird,  reddish under tail distinguishes it from blackbirds. 

This is the first in a series of highlight articles about bird and wildlife species common in the Cape Fear Region. This series is intended to give some information about birds and animals we commonly encounter or overlook in our gardens, parks, or the wilderness.

The Grey Catbird (or Gray Catbird) is a medium sized thrushlike bird that is common in the Carolinas from April to October and is found in all regions of NC and SC. This bird is a relative of the mockingbird (genus Mimus) and thrashers (Toxostoma) and is about the size of a Wood Thrush or starling. These birds are the northernmost range of any Mimid and breeds from the Boreal Belt to the Gulf States of America. Catbirds are not known for their mimicry but can still copy the sounds of frogs, katydids, and parts of bird songs. The most notable call from this bird is its namesake mewing call that can sound like a cat's meow or even a crying baby. The Catbird is an bird of thickets and is primarily found near water or wetlands, or in mid-successional habitats where thick shrubs, brambles, coppices provide nest habitat. They often take habitats with moderate tree canopy has formed above and often cooccur with Brown Thrashers.

Description 

Grey Catbirds are medium sized songbirds that have a slender profile and look a bit like a blackbird or miniature grackle. They are slightly smaller than a cardinal and the same length as a starling or Wood Thrush except slimmer with a long tail. As the name implies these birds are slate grey to blackish with a reddish undertail. The beak is similar to that of a mockingbird. 

• Size: L: 17-23cm or 6.75-9" (between starling and cardinal size with individual variation)
• Plumage is a uniform grey or black coloration with a darker cap, and tail, and reddish undertail
• Body is shaped like a Thrush except with a long tail, bill similar to mockingbird 
• Compare to Rusty or Red Winged Blackbird, or Common Starling 

Voice 

Song: Catbirds sing a complex, jumbled song that consists of a mixture of whistles, squawks, ratcheting sounds, screams, and warbles giving in a seemingly endless pattern. Some songs can last for 10-15 minutes at a time. In general Catbirds do not repeat phrases multiple times, and mimics only occasionally. 

The alternate song of the Catbird is a slow whistled chant that can be mistaken for a Red Eyed or Yellow Throated Vireo or even a Summer Tanager, except that it has more complex phrases. 

Compare: Brown Thrashers repeat phrases two to three times and have phrases that sound more like a Wood or Hermit Thrush (or an American Robin). Mockingbirds sing faster, mimic everything around them and may repeat calls six or more times. 

Calls: Grey Catbirds make a variety of calls including a mewing sound that can be compared to a cat or infant, as well as various chatters, screams, froglike croaks, and a chipping call that can be mistaken for a blackbird or Hermit Thrush. Check out the Cornell Lab Link for voice examples. 

Notes

Season: Catbirds are found in our region from April to October with a small number of birds remaining through the winter, primarily around seacoasts or in gardens with bird tables.  

Habitat: Grey Catbirds are mostly associated with wetlands or riparian areas and are usually found within a short distance of water. They are abundant in wooded swamps, riparian buffers, alders or willows along marshes, bogs, brambles, and in overgrown fields. In migration they are found in almost any shrubby or wooded habitat with abundant fruits and berries.

They visit gardens with dense shrubs, trees, hedges, or neglected fencerows, and are most likely to stop in yards during autumn migration or as a stray winter resident.

Typical natural wetland with a mix of meadow, marsh and wooded swamp.

Diet: Eats mostly insects, mollusks, isopods, and other invertebrates found in thickets, leaf litter, muddy areas, or meadows. Often feeds in small openings near shrubs, on edges of lawns, or in shallow water. THey consume fruits and berries year round and favor mulberry, blackberry, pokeweed, cherry laurel, and magnolia. Occasionally eats small vertebrates, seeds, or sweet substances. 

Nesting: Forms loose colonies along shrubby thickets or waterways and does not appear to be as territorial as mockingbirds or thrashers. Pairs build a robinlike nest of grass, reeds, twigs, or other materials on the ground, low in shrubs or brambles, or sometimes in trees, reeds, or ivy/creeper growing up walls. The birds lay 3-6 bluish eggs and raise 2-3 broods per year. Nesting season in the Carolinas ranges from Apr to August. Catbird pairs may be territorial towards cardinals, other Mimids or thrushes, and potential predators like cats, weasels, snakes, or crows. 

Behavior: Catbirds feed mostly on the ground or in thickets below the canopy and remain in dense cover. These birds are very tame and often tolerate human activity in parks or nature trails. Males sing for hours on end from fairly high perches above thickets, and often sing during the midday and afternoon when most birds are quiet. Migrants form flocks that may number into the dozens where fruits are abundant, while wintering birds are solitary. Some research suggests that Catbirds and possibly Mockingbirds may destroy nests of other birds to reduce  competition, and will certainly compete with other shrub nesting species. However, they seem to coexist with cardinals, thrashers, and Carolina Wrens. They seem to occupy the same niche as Hermit or other woodland thrushes, or the mockingbird. 

For more information, check out the species profile on Cornell Lab's All About Birds  

Where to Find

The Grey Catbird is easy to find in New Hanover County during the summer months and is almost guaranteed along any creek basin, stormwater wetland, marsh, or peatland/bog. Greenfield Lake Park, Wade Park, and the Burnt Mill Creek corridor has dense populations of Catbirds during the summer.

In the winter, look or listen for Catbirds in maritime thickets, edges of marshes, or near bogs and lakes, as well as around bird tables or ornamental shrubs in gardens.

Garden Information

A wet meadow in my home garden, an example of habitat that catbirds may visit.

Catbirds can be attracted to gardens if there is dense shrubbery, wooded areas, or meadowlike habitat mixed with vines, brambles or shrubs. They seem to like plantings of wax myrtle, azaleas, holly, and any hedge or woodland opening tangled with vines, wild brambles, or saplings. They may nest in gardens near wetlands, creeks, or even damp depressions and occasionally occur in dense woodlots or utility corridors in drier areas. Attract Catbirds with fruit bearing plants such as mulberry, blackberry, Carolina Rose, magnolia, dogwood, pokeweed, beautyberry or viburnum. They also feed in flowerbeds, vegetable gardens and compost piles. 

Bird Table Notes

Suet is the preferred feeder food of Catbirds. They may even harass woodpeckers 

Grey Catbirds will visit feeders near suitable habitat and often become regular patrons once they discover it. They eat suet, lard, mealworms, and peanut butter as well as table scraps, grape jelly, fruits, and peanuts. Catbirds may occasionally eat sunflower seeds or hearts, corn, and chopped tree nuts. While they prefer ground feeding or open bird tables near hedges, they will boldly come to suet cages, open setups, or even window/porch feeders. Expect multiple pairs or family groups with young to arrive feeders during the summer months. In the winter, a lone bird may visit a feeder and will often return in subsequent seasons if the food is reliable. 

Catbird at window feeder during autumn

Catbirds are often feisty and will overwhelm or attack other birds such as cardinals, Downy or Hairy Woodpeckers, Carolina Wrens, or bluebirds. They will also challenge starlings, Blue Jays, Red Bellied Woodpeckers. It seems that mockingbirds are dominant to Catbirds.

Smaller birds like chickadees, nuthatches, and Pine Warblers usually get by as catbirds ignore seed feeders with the exception of this rare instance to the left.