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Gray Catbird - (Dumetella
carolinensis)
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May 3, 2009 - Today we
saw the return of the catbird. Last year we
often saw them eating from the suet feeders
(and they loved the grand girls' peanut butter
and jelly crusts). We planted a lot more berry
bushes with these particular birds in mind. We
added 7 more red twig dogwood, which seems to be
one of their favorites. But today the bird was
eating a leftover portion of a seed block.
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| My son's backyard, about 12
miles from mine, is the home of a gray catbird
pair. In early June, while staying with my
grandgirl, we noticed a brand new (yet to be
identified) bird happily hopping from hose real
cover to sandbox and back to porch roof. My
small digital camera sadly was not up to the
task of taking a close-up, especially through
the screened back window. After trying to
capture the shot anyway, we ran to my small
reference bird book divided by color (I take
this everywhere) and could then put the gray
catbird name to this handsome fellow. |
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When we opened the back door
quietly (difficult considering one of us was a
four year old) in the hopes of getting closer,
we now saw two catbirds sitting in a white lilac
bush. We were also fortunate enough to
hear the "mew" call that gave these pretty gray
birds their name.
When I excitedly called Food
Guy with the news, he suggested I give them a
business card so they could find our
bird-friendly yard. Wouldn't you know- I
didn't have any with me. But I did plan on
bringing the big boy camera with me the next
day.
Well- I guess the bread crumbs
I considered dropping out of my car window on my
way home wouldn't have been necessary after all.
Two days later we saw our own pair of catbirds
hopping around our backyard. While they
lingered on one of the peanut suet feeders, we
had the perfect photo op. We still catch
glimpses of them now and then, but often hear
their cat-like chatter from the trees.
When we do see one, the little model poses and
tosses head and tail like a true professional.
All our birds should be so accommodating.
Meanwhile back in the other
yard, Ellery (not yet a fan of bread crusts)
would leave them in a spot under a large
evergreen. We ended many a backyard lunch
watching a catbird (who was a fan of crusts,
especially ones covered with pb&j) swoop in and
grab the yummy treat.
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Size:
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Length: 8.5-9 in
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Weight: 1.3 oz |
Wingspan: 11 in |
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ID:
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Male: Slate gray overall; black cap;
dark, long tail; dark bill; feet
anisodactylous (three toes point forward
and one toe points backward) and dark;
reddish chestnut patch under the tail
Female and Juvenile: Same as male
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Habitat:
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Forest edges; hedges and thickets
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Diet:
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Mostly insects (crickets,
grasshoppers and beetles); fruit; feeder
food: bread, cheese, raisins, peanuts
and suet cakes
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Family Behavior:
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Mating Habits: Monogamous and
solitary; male sings, holds down tail
and throws back head as he claims
territory and attracts a female; 2
broods per year
Local Breeding Period: Early May
Nests: Cup shaped and made of twigs,
stems, leaves and grass, lined with fine
materials; built by both male and female
but female does most of the building;
usually placed in shrub or tree; may use
the same nest again
Eggs: 4-6 plain greenish blue and
glossy; female incubates 12-13 days;
female closely guards nest and will
eject cowbird eggs
Nestlings: Born altricial (helpless,
naked, eyes closed) and stay in nest
10-11 days; fed by both parents but
mostly male
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Social Activities:
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Solitary or in pairs; relatively tame
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Range:
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Breeding: Most of US except west
coast and the Southwest
Winter: Migrate to southern coastal US;
travels at night
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Vocalization:
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Song is a mixture of mimic sounds of
other birds, animals and even machinery;
call is a quiet mew and very cat-like;
does not repeat phrases
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| Lifespan: |
Up to 11 years |
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