Grey catbird
The Gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), (also spelled grey catbird), is a medium sized North American and Central American bird. It is the only member of the "catbird" genus Dumetella. It is the basal lineages of the Mockingbird family, closely related to the thrasher and tremblers then the mockingbirds.[2] In some areas it is known as the slate-colored mockingbird.[3]
| Gray catbird | |
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| Adult in Brooklyn, New York, USA | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Mimidae |
| Genus: | Dumetella C.T. Wood, 1837 |
| Species: | D. carolinensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Dumetella carolinensis (Carl Linnaeus, 1766)
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| Approximate distribution map
Breeding Migration Year-round Nonbreeding | |
Behavior
Breeding
Their breeding habitat is somewhat open areas with thick, low plants; they are also found in cites, and neighborhoods. These birds mainly look for food on the ground in leaf piles, but also in shrubs and trees. They mainly eat arthropods and berries. In the winter they eat more fruit.[4]
They build a bulky cup nest in a shrub or tree, close to the ground. Eggs are light blue in color. They lay about 1 to 5 eggs, with 2 to 3 eggs being the most common. Both parents take turns feeding the young birds.
Feeding
Gray catbirds are omnivores (eat animals and plants),[5] and about 50% of their diet is fruit and berries. They also eat worms, beetles, and other bugs. In summer, gray catbirds will eat mostly ants, beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and moths. They also eat berries from holly, cherries, elderberries, poison ivy, and blackberries. They also peck at the eggs of other birds, but it is unknown if they do this to eat the eggs or just to get rid of them.
Pictures
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Grey Catbird Media
A Gray catbird stands in the grass
Adult voicing cat-like sounds at Wildwood Preserve Metropark, Ohio
In a crab apple tree in New York
Nest and egg in a cedar shrub 4 ft above the ground
Grey catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), Orange Walk, Belize
Feeding on custard apple (Annona reticulata)
Elaborate, non-cat-like vocalization
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2016). "Dumetella carolinensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2016: e.T22711013A94272855. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22711013A94272855.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ↑ Hunt, Jeffrey S.; Bermingham, Eldredge; Ricklefs, Robert E. (2001). "Molecular systematics and biogeography of Antillean thrashers, tremblers, and mockingbirds (Aves: Mimidae)" (PDF). Auk. 118 (1): 35–55. doi:10.1642/0004-8038(2001)118[0035:MSABOA]2.0.CO;2. S2CID 51797284. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-27. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ↑ Barber, Brian R.; Martínez-Gómez, Juan E.; Peterson, A. Townsend (2004). "Systematic position of the Socorro mockingbird Mimodes graysoni" (PDF). J. Avian Biol. 35 (3): 195–198. doi:10.1111/j.0908-8857.2004.03233.x. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-09-07.
- ↑ Foster, Mercedes S. (2007). "The potential of fruiting trees to enhance converted habitats for migrating birds in southern Mexico". Bird Conservation International. 17 (1): 45–61. Bibcode:2007BirCI..17...45F. doi:10.1017/S0959270906000554.
- ↑ "Dumetella carolinensis". www.fs.usda.gov. Retrieved 2024-03-01.