I’ve read that a Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) makes a distinctive cat-like mewing sound, but I don’t recall ever having heard a catbird make any sound whatsoever. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Gray Catbirds can also copy the sounds of other species and string them together to make their own song that can last as long as ten minutes.
Even without hearing its song, I was able to spot this Gray Catbird earlier this week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. As is most often the case with catbirds, this one was in thick vegetation, but I did manage to get a relatively clear shot of its head and body.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Advertisements
We get lots of catbirds in the summer, nesting in the shrubbery. They wake early and sing their hearts out!
I have heard it many times. Yep, like a cat. And I have also heard them sing almost like a warbler. This is a bird of my childhood. 😀
He has a determined look on his face, Mike. Great capture.
I remember this talented singer from my childhood days in rural Southeastern Pa., they were quite abundant and a very vocal bird. My siblings and I used to try and imitate them…imitations of imitators, although lacking their skill. Benjamin and I have only seen and heard them sporadically here in R.I., but always enjoy them whenever we are fortunate enough to do so. This is a marvelous photo for today’s National Bird Day celebration. Thank-you, Mr. Mike!!
On two occasions I thought I heard a cat when I was outside. I looked around and then saw the catbird. I got photos the second time.
My photos were nowhere as good as yours is though! Stunning capture!
Thanks. I was fortunate that the catbird was relatively exposed. Most of the times that I spot a catbird, it is buried in the vegetation and is hard to see or to photograph.
Clicked on this post because of the funny title. Glad i did. It’s amazing how such a little bird can stay warm in the winter weather!
We don’t have a super-harsh winter here in Northern Virginia, but the temperatures often fall below freezing and we do have snow. I find it incredible that any birds can survive the winter at all. Some of them switch their diets from insects in the warmer weather to seeds and berries in the winter.
I’ve been long familiar with the phrase ‘sitting in the catbird seat,’ but I didn’t know there were actual catbirds.