Wild Birds Unlimited Bird of the MonthGray Catbird

Fun Facts about Catbirds

• Grey Catbirds love water and could visit moving water features in your yard.
• They can be attracted to feeders with mealworms and fruit. Catbirds, like bluebirds, robins and mockingbirds, enjoy raisins and currants that have been soaked in water to plump them up. They may also visit feeders that offer a fruit suet (like WBU Fruit Cakes Suet Dough, shown right). They are one of the many birds that have been attracted to Bark Butter. Keep it easily-accessible by spreading low on a tree trunk or on a Bark Butter feeder.
• Their call sounds like a cat mewing.
• Often heard or seen alone in thickets.
• Catbirds are often heard before they are seen. They are secretive birds that dart into the bushes when approached. They are also very inquisitive and can sometimes be called back out of the bushes to check out a "pishing" sound or a sound like kissing the back of your hand.
• Catbirds are gray with a dark cap on their head and a dark eye. Be sure to look for the rusty under-tail color that is not often seen.
• The catbird's resting heart rate ranges from 307-427 beats per minute. The average person's heart rate is 60-100 beats per minute.
• Average life span is 4-10 years.
• Both sexes help build the nest but construction is mainly by the female over five to six days. Breeding is May through August with an average clutch of four eggs. The female incubates the eggs and will continue to sit on the nest during hatching.
• Gray Catbirds are great mimics and known to imitate dozens of other birds, tree frogs and mechanical sounds. They often sing in ten minute intervals, delivering about 90 syllables per minute.

Check out Wild Birds Unlimited rightbird Online Field Guide to read more about the Gray Catbird.  Hear their songs and calls, read about their behavior, view their ranges and more.

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Comments

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Margaret - Natural Selections is a good podcast and out of Paul Smiths too! About a month ago, we stopped to move a big snapper right on Middle Grove Rd. Good thing the homeowner came out to help!

[Margaret]

No, they seem to prefer brushy waterside tangles to the deep woods, and are a summertime staple at Bog Meadow Brook. Hey, I just listened to your "Turtle Crossing" link - very interesting! (At least I now know that I'm not the only crazy person trying to "shoosh" snappers to the side of the road in traffic).

[The Zen Birdfeeder]

Chad - I wish I saw them more regularly. You're lucky!
MaineBirder - young catbirds at the feeder - what fun!
Dawn - sounds like grape jelly's the hot thing.
Margaret - wish they were around more here. Do you see daily by you?

[Margaret]

Yeah, the mimic thrushes (and all thrushes) are just great. They got syrinxes, and they know how to use 'em! ;)

[Dawn Fine]

I do love to hear the sounds of the catbird..sometimes they fool me into thinking they are another bird.
The Catbirds at my parents love Grape Jelly!

[MaineBirder]

We have 3 pair nesting in various parts of our yard. They just started bringing their young to the feeders yesterday, feeding them suet and grape jelly.

[Chad]

Oh, you have to love the cat birds. We have a couple in our yard now and they are quite the singers.