Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
Family Mimidae

Characteristics:
* Bird slate-gray, with a black cap.
* Tail chestnut underneath. Catbirds flip their tails jauntily as they navigate on the ground or in shrubs.
* Body and tail length: 9".

Natural History:
* Habitat: Meadows, undergrowth, brush, and thorny thickets. Nests built in dense, thorny thickets, 1-3 meters above ground.
* Range: Southern Canada, eastern and central United States. Winters in the southern United States, Panama, and the West Indies.
* Voice: A cat-like meow, also a grating tcheck-tcheck. Catbirds mimic other birds' songs, but unlike the repeated notes of the mockingbird, their imitations come in disjointed bits.
* Behavior: Feeds on insects and small fruits such as grapes and blackberries. Eggs are greenish-blue and glossy.
* Native.

Connections!
* Catbirds are abundant on the Wellesley College campus. Look and listen for them wherever there are dense shrubs.

Approved by NR