8-9 1/4" (20-24 cm). Slate gray except for a red undertail covert. crown
and tail darker. Dumetella
carolinensis
(Gray Catbird)
Physical
Description:
8-9 1/4" (20-24 cm). Slate
gray except for a red undertail covert. crown and tail darker.
Similar Species- Northern Mockingbird
Song:
Call
is a catlike scolding. Song is a variety of chattery whistles.
Distribution:
Breeds
from southern British Columbia, east across southern Canada to Nova Scotia,
and south to central New Mexico, Texas, central portions of Gulf states, and
northern Florida. Winters from Atlantic coastal lowlands, north to Long Island,
and from Gulf states to Panama.
Habitat:
Found in thickets, dense brushy and shrubby
areas, undergrowth of forest edges, hedgerows, gardens, and dense second growth.
An Idaho study in cottonwood forests reported that the probability of detecting
catbirds increased with patch size; the species avoided grazed areas.
Diet:
Eats insects, other
invertebrates, small fruits, and arillate seeds.
Ecology:
Builds cup-shaped nest, frequently in
thickets. Forages on ground or in vegetation. Sometimes forms loose flocks during
migration.
2-6 eggs (usually 4),
for 12-15 days. Young are tended by both parents, and leave nest at 10- 15 days.
Female often produces 2 broods/yr.
Conservation:
| Element Code: | ABPBK01010 |
| Status: | Protected nongame species |
| Global Rank: | G5 |
| State Rank: | S5,NTMB |
| National Rank: | N5B,N5N |
Important
State References:
Saab, V.A. 1996. Influence of spatial
scale and land management on habitat use by breeding birds in cottonwood forests
of southeastern Idaho. Ph.D. Dissertation, Univ. Colorado, Boulder. 140pp.