# Gray Catbird (*Dumetella carolinensis*) The Gray Catbird is a clever bird known for its beautiful gray feathers and sweet singing. It loves to hide in bushes and can mimic the sounds of other birds! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 250 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Gray Catbird](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Graycatbird-WashParkCedarFallsIowa-20220506.jpg&width=800) Photo: AMMuench, CC BY 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Graycatbird-WashParkCedarFallsIowa-20220506.jpg) ## Appearance The Gray Catbird is a medium-sized songbird with a sleek, dark slaty-gray body. It has a distinctive black cap on its head and a bright rusty-brown patch hidden under its tail, making it easy to identify. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Mimidae - **Genus:** Dumetella ## Interesting facts - A male catbird can learn over 100 different songs! - The rusty patch under their tail is often hidden until they flick it! - Their nest is usually built in thorny bushes to protect chicks! - They can sing for up to 10 minutes without stopping! ## Special abilities - **Mimic Master:** Gray Catbird can mimic the songs of many other birds and even other sounds because of its complex vocal cords. - **Dense Cover Navigator:** Gray Catbird has agile flight and a slender body that helps them expertly navigate thick bushes and dense vegetation. - **Foul Spray Defense:** Gray Catbird can release a foul-smelling secretion when threatened, which helps them deter predators. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 21-24 cm - **Wingspan:** 22-30 cm - **Weight:** 0.023-0.056 kg - **Lifespan:** 2-10 years - **Speed:** 40 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-5 - **Incubation:** 12-14 days - **Migration Distance:** 4000 km ## Diet & Feeding Gray Catbirds are omnivores, meaning they enjoy a tasty mix of insects, spiders, and a variety of sweet berries. - **Primary Foods:** Caterpillars, Beetles, Ants, Spiders, Blackberries, Elderberries - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Cooper's Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cooper-s-hawk) (*Accipiter cooperii*) — Young and adult catbirds are hunted by these agile raptors. - **Eaten by:** [Domestic Cat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/domestic-cat) (*Panthera catus*) — Domestic cats are a significant predator, especially near human homes. - **Parasitizes:** [Brown-headed Cowbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-headed-cowbird) (*Molothrus ater*) — Cowbirds lay their eggs in catbird nests, tricking them into raising their young. - **Eats:** [Allegheny Blackberry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/allegheny-blackberry) (*Rubus allegheniensis*) — Catbirds consume ripe berries, helping to spread their seeds. - **Shelter:** [Quaking Aspen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/quaking-aspen) (*Populus tremuloides*) — They build nests and find cover in the dense foliage of such trees and shrubs. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Gray Catbird? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Gray Catbird? 21-24 cm ### What is Gray Catbird's wingspan? 22-30 cm ### How much does Gray Catbird weigh? 0.023-0.056 kg ### How long does Gray Catbird live? 2-10 years ### How fast can Gray Catbird move? 40 km/h ### What does Gray Catbird eat? Gray Catbirds are omnivores, meaning they enjoy a tasty mix of insects, spiders, and a variety of sweet berries. ### Where is Gray Catbird usually found? Urban areas ## Where to spot - [Alabama City Wall Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alabama-city-wall-street-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Albany Pine Bush](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/albany-pine-bush) — New York, US · Nature Reserve - [Ames Nowell State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ames-nowell-state-park) — Massachusetts, US · State Park - [Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arrowmont-school-of-arts-and-crafts) — Tennessee, US · Campus - [Barrington Civic Center Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/barrington-civic-center-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/battle-creek-cypress-swamp-sanctuary) — Maryland, US · Nature Reserve [View all places to see Gray Catbird](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/gray-catbird) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Gray Catbird: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/gray-catbird)