Gray Catbird

About the Gray Catbird

A sleek, slate-gray songbird with a black cap and a rusty patch under the tail, the Gray Catbird is named for its most famous sound - a soft, whining mew that really does resemble a cat. A member of the mimic family alongside mockingbirds and thrashers, it also strings together long, rambling songs stitched with imitations, often delivered from deep in a thicket.

Catbirds are birds of dense cover, skulking through brushy tangles, hedgerows, and woodland edges where they feed on insects and, especially in fall, a great deal of fruit. More often heard than seen, a patient watcher will catch one slipping through the shadows or popping up to scold.

In Texas the Gray Catbird is mainly a migrant and winter visitor, most numerous in the eastern and coastal parts of the state, favoring brushy edges and berry-rich thickets.

A note from behind the lens: coax one into the open with patience at a fruiting shrub, and be ready - they rarely sit still for long. Soft, even light suits the subtle gray plumage and that flash of rufous beneath the tail.