Gray Catbird

Don't let the gray catbird fool you with its mimic calls. It can easily mimic popular backyard birds. Learn how to attract a gray catbird to your yard, and listen to its song.

Photo: Roland Jordahl

• Scientific Name: Dumetella carolinensis.
• Family: Mockingbird.
• Length: 8-1/2 inches.
• Wingspan: 11 inches.
• Distinctive Markings: Slate-gray body with a black cap and tail, rust-red feathers under tail.
• Nest: Builds nests in garden shrubs or thickets near creeks or swamps. Females usually lay four glossy dark greenish-blue eggs; often raises two broods in one season.
• Song: Alarm call is a catlike mewing; song is a mix of notes, may mimick other songbirds.
• Habitat: Dense thickets. Easier to hear than see because they hide in dense shrubbery.
• Diet: Insects and berries.
• Backyard Favorites: Will eat grape jelly.