Educate Yourself About the Gray Catbird and Other Catbirds
Gray Catbird
(Dumetella carolinensis)
The Gray Catbird has a blackish cap, slim body, overall slate-gray, underside slate-grey as well, chestnut undertail coverts, and a black tail. Its length is 9in (23cm) Its wingspan is 11in (28cm) Its voice is a distinctive cat-like meowing, and also a grating “tcheck” , the song consists of disjointed notes and phrases that are not repeated. Their eggs are glossy and deep greenish-blue, with 1 clutch consisting of 4-6 or (2-6) eggs.
The female incubates for 12-13 days, and fledging time is 10-11 days. Both male and female feed their young. Males and females look alike.
The Gray Catbird will spend their summers throughout the northern United States and in to Canada, but when winter arrives they will withdraw to warmer climates of the south and into Mexico. There are some catbirds which will spend their winter in the north, but only if winter berries are available in an abundance.
The catbird can be more heard than seen, and prefers to sing from a hidden perch or snag, and what you thought might be a stray cats meowing, is actually the song of the catbird you are listing to. But you will not be fooled for long as his song turns into a sweet, disjointed, “tcheck-tcheck”, with some harsh notes here and there. So, it is easily understood where they got their name from.
The Gray Catbirds is also great at mimicking other birds, for this reason they are a member of the mimic thrushes family, and you will find them repeating or incorporating renditions of calls from robins, jays, hawks, and quails. You will hear most of their singing at night, and if you spot one you will notice how he throws his head back, holding his tail down. This motion is to hopefully attract a female, and also to protest his territory.
The Gray Catbirds diet mostly consists of insects like grasshoppers, beetles, and crickets to name a few. Their absolute favorite is the japanese beetle, witch makes this bird a welcomed guest into most gardens. They like to mix some blackberries and grapes into their diet as well.
The both build their nest together, and if you have a garden that includes weigela, lilacs, honey-suckle, deutzia, and other shrubs, be sure to look for a catbirds nest. They are not exactly master builders, as the nest will show, but the rough collection of twigs, weeds, leaves, and grasses will certainly do the job. The lining of the nest is a little nicer put together, with its horsehair, fine roots, and pine needles formed into a cup-like shape, to cradle the new arrivals in.
If you like to attract the Gray Catbird, and other catbirds to your lovely bird feeding garden, put out different kinds of fruit like grapes, raisins, cut oranges, and bread crumbs. But they prefer to forage in your garden, feeding on grasshoppers, beetles, and crickets. They like berries too, so a few shrubs like elderberries, bayberries, and hollies are most welcomed. Let some Concorde grapes, and wild fox grapes grow around a trellis, and amongst your trees, as well.
