Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis):
This cousin of the mockingbird and the thrasher is a slate-colored songbird that has red feathers under its tail and a black cap. Females and males have the same coloring and straight beaks. The eggs are a beautiful turquoise green, sometimes speckled with red. Aptly named for its cat-like calls, the catbird also mimics the songs of other birds. They live in thickets and dense shrubs and can be seen flying short distances or hopping since they are ground foragers and eat berries, ants, and other insects. While the gray catbird can be found in New England and the Midwest during the summer, it will migrate south in the winter to Florida and the Caribbean.
The catbird’s song may last for several minutes, sometimes up to ten minutes at a time! The distinctive mew is occasionally accompanied by imitation of frogs and mechanical sounds. They are not fooled by the Brown-headed Cowbird, who tricks other bird species into raising her babies by laying eggs in other nests. In the wild, catbirds can live for more 15 years – the oldest known was 17 years and 11 months old.
Gray Catbird