Gray Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
Mockingbird family (Mimidae)
A slender bird. All gray with a black cap and reddish-brown patch under base of tail. Long tail is often cocked upwards.
Nesting:
Open bulky nest built in dense woody vegetation, 3 to 10 feet above the ground. Eggs are dark bluish-green. Clutch size – 3 to 4 eggs.
Voice:
Song is a squeaky unmusical series of mimicking chirps and whistles. Its repertoire may include syllables of more than 100 different types, sung in random order and at an uneven tempo. Call is a catlike “meow.”
Name Origin:
The genus name Dumetella is from the Latin for "little thorn bush," literally means "little one of the thorn bush." The species name carolinensis means “of Carolina.”
In the Nature Park:
Neotropical migrant, arrives in early May. Common in dense shrubby vegetation.
Photos:
Gray Catbird
