Gray Catbird | A superb songster and skilled mimic!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ค. 2024
- Gray catbirds can be quite secretive and difficult to find. From my own experience in the field, I tend to hear them a whole lot more than I actually see them.
They hang out in dense thickets and shrubs, usually near riparian areas. This habitat provides them with the ideal place to nest, protection from predators, and plenty of resources.
They're not so keen on flying out in wide open spaces, preferring instead to keep their flight short and low to shrubs. When traversing the dense understory, they use small hops and flutters to get around.
Chapters:
Catbird mew call 00:00
Habitat 00:27
Taxonomy 01:08
Appearance 01:25
A syrinx made for singing 01:49
Song 02:26
Quiet Song 03:08
Mew call variation 03:46
Diet 04:08
Cowbird nest parasitism 04:30
Migration 04:47
Conclusion 05:06
All Things Birdie Merchandise
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Social Media:
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Photos and videos graciously utilized from free use sites, name and site credited in video.
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Flickr.com
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Credits not given in video:
Family Mimidae:
-Gray catbird by All Things Birdie
-Northern Mockingbird by michaelstubblefield from Canva.com, background removed
-Brown Thrasher by csraphotography from Canva.com, background removed
Migration map catbird photo: All Things Birdie
Catbird audio credits:
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0
-Mew call by Jonathon Jongsma, www.xeno-canto.org/81292
-Song by Jonathon Jongsma, www.xeno-canto.org/241124
-Quiet song by Jonathon Jongsma, www.xeno-canto.org/179975
-Mew call variation by Jonathon Jongsma, www.xeno-canto.org/143623
Thumbnail photo credit: Artem Sushkov from Canva.com
Have you found an injured or orphaned bird or wildlife?
Do an online search for a wildlife rehabilitation clinic in your area. They will tell you what to do. If you can't find one, contact a local veterinarian and see if they know who to contact. Do not attempt to rehabilitate a bird or animal on your own.
Developed a bond with a male who returned to our homestead three years in a row. He followed me as I weeded and accepted beetles and grubs tossed his way. By the 2nd year, he accepted them from my fingers and would come when I called. He would bring at least one fledgling by each summer, it seemed, so the youngster could learn the system. I deeply enjoyed that bond.
I have a family in a big boxwood outside my kitchen window. I love them! I envy your bond. I've been staying away so as not to scare them. I think I'm going to start noodling around in the yard more often and longer. I hope they come to meet me😊
I've become obsessed with the cat bird. So hard to see however. There call are so beautiful. That gray color is part of why I love them, so soft.
My favorite bird!!
I watched one singing his little heart out the other day. I just happened to be under the tree he chose as his stage. It went on for a surprisingly long time.
My favorite bird 🥰
We have one here, and I got some gorgeous photos of him or her. ❤
I love the cat bird … we have a few that visit in the late afternoon till the evening in the spring and summer
The first time I heard them sing, I was new to country living,,, I thought it was a cat on the tree 😂❤
Ours are not too shy, they gladly perch on the garden fence to show off their fluffy fan like tail .
Im always mesmerized
They might be angels
This little bird has become a favorite. I love listening to the sweet songs in the morning and especially those at night before bedtime. The singing at night is right outside my living room window. Tonight was especially beautiful and I said 'Thank you'
I heard the most amazing bird call that was every sound in every beat and never repeats and it honestly was the most amazing sound ive heard from nature. After a bit of research I found it was the catbird! Now its my favorite but I havent been so lucky since.
I am here after experiencing exactly that!!!!
Most people think they're just gray & charcoal, but never see the colorful underside.
A week ago, I saw a gray catbird. It was perched on a low branch of a 40 ft tall cedar tree in our front yard. I started talking to it, and it flew down to the driveway about 15 ft away from me. It was right between my dad, and me. Squatting down was a big factor in this event.
If I only had something for the catbird to eat, ...
I have one visiting my feeder daily. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
I've been here 8 years and this is the first time one has visited daily. He/she loves the feeder and bird bath and sings all day. I had no idea they migrated. Thanks for this informative video.
We have several catbirds that share the oriole feeder with the orioles. I wasn't familiar with the catbirds until we put the oriole feeder out 3 years ago and now we look forward to seeing them every spring. They are very entertaining!
I’m semi new to bird identification/befriending and this bird today was singing back and forth with me. Watching me. Staying close. Not afraid at all. After research: Alas! I have discovered this sleek CatBird 😍😎 How exciting. I have a feeling he’ll be back.
Thanks for the video!
I live in central Wisconsin. And as I was listening to you I had two flying around me. One in our large tree and one on my suite feeder. They are one of my favorite birds
This video was excellent and it deserves way more views. Spot-on! There is is a Catbird couple nesting out my window this spring and it has been very pleasant 😊
Therr is one living in my bushes atm. I hear it mimicking other birds more than the meow, mostly because the meow is quieter. Is a noisy bugger but it loves our seuit feeder. Pecks holes in it!
The ones by us seem to be nosy, and want to know what we are doing in when in the yard.
I think I actually saw one at my suet feeder in Minnesota today. I'm going to have to watch to make sure if it comes back.
Great video! They’re in my area right now!
Thank you and I'm glad you liked the video! They are an entertaining bird and a joy to watch and listen to.
I originally grew up in a small town called Bridgeport New York ZIP code 13030 and my back field was always filled with gray catbirds, I love going out to the old cabin and hearing them sing for hours at end
A family just moved into my patio tree. 😅
We have a pair that get very close to eat and sing.. also fly's right above our heads
They're awesome
I am not sure, but I found a small gray bird in my shed, I was able to catch it, and then it perched on my hand, and I walked outside, and it flew away. I then noticed larger Grey birds around my bird bath. I heard different calls, but none that sounded like a cat but familiar to what I heard here.
Thanks for the site. I will be back.❤
I cannot recommend the Merlin ID bird app more. It will let you know what all the birds are in your yard by a simple recording.
It's early May and just saw two in my front patio on the ground - in So Cal. I don't know if they were always there and I missed them or they are new. They may have been mates but they were "fighting" over food. I thought at first they were female mockingbirds until I looked more closely. I think they're traveling through this area...probably going North along with the crowned sparrows...they will leave and go North too.
Lots of different birds this year and we had record rain. I have a birdbath and just put out bird seed every morning. I have seen Orioles (they like nesting in the giant bird of paradise tree) but I only put out the bird seed in the morning and have a few water options, a bird bath. Not sure what the orioles are eating. I think I will try the fruit, jelly and suet if I can get it together.
My yard is totally organic/no pesticides, no spraying. As a result lots of insects and spiders (and slugs this year) because I have several worm composting bins. Don't know what to do about the slugs. Just trying to support the birds and bees and pollinators is a ton of work. Yesterday I took a baby ground squirrel to Project Wildlife after my cat brought it home. It's so great to have all the life around here but it takes time, energy and effort to support it. Last year 6 raccoons were walking/balancing on the top of the fence all in a row.....unbelievable...it's only 1/2 in wide!!
These birds are amazing its like they have their own super fast chattering language. We get them alot and the stray cats kill them and leave them in our yard😢
What kind of jell do you get for them I just started seeing them in my yard I only have seed and suet out
I see them in trees a lot here. I don't think they sound anything at all like a cat. I really like when they sing but the vast majority of the time I hear that sound that is said to sound like a cat.