All About Catbirds and How to Attract Them
If you're walking through a park with dense shrubbery and hear a scratchy, mewing sound, it's likely a catbird calling.
These talented feathered friends can also mimic the songs of birds they hear, often duplicating the calls of cardinals, wrens, thrushes, and more.
To learn more about these interesting birds, we spoke with Lucy Schultz, a volunteer with Save the Kiwi in New Zealand who works as a kiwi (bird) handler for translocation projects. She's a lifelong birdwatcher and has a fondness for catbirds, robins, and cardinals. She's also a national park photographer and a self-proclaimed bird nerd.
Gray catbird perched on a wooden fence with bright pink flowers.
How to Identify a Catbird
The only catbird found in North America is the Gray catbird. They are part of the Mimidae family, which also includes mockingbirds and several types of thrashers.
These slim, 8- to 9-inch-long songbirds feature uniform medium-gray feathers on the chest, back, wings, and face, topped with a black cap of feathers on the head. If you look closely, perhaps through the lens of a camera or binoculars, you'll see that Gray catbirds have a distinguishing rusty red patch of feathers just under the tail.
In contrast to their chic appearance, you might notice a Gray catbird acting... catty.
"They can be aggressive towards other birds, so you'll likely see them chasing starlings and birds of prey from their territory. They will flick their tails up and down and give a soft but scolding call," Schultz shared.
You can listen to the many calls and sounds of the Gray catbird on the Cornell Lab All About Birds website.
Additional catbirds exist across the globe, including the Abyssinian catbird (part of the warbler family) in Ethiopia. They feature a red eye and white patch of feathers above the beak, in addition to a gray body and rusty red patch under the tail.
Birders in Australasia enjoy catbirds from the bowerbird family, such as the Ochre-breasted catbird of New Guinea, with an orange chest dotted with black speckles, a black head, and white cheeks. Another favorite to watch is the Green catbird, native to the East coast of Australia, with its striking emerald wings, olive green breast, and red eyes.
Gray catbird standing on a wood railing.
Where to Find Catbirds in Nature
The Gray catbird calls the central area and eastern coast of the United States home. However, you can usually spot them as far west as the Rocky Mountains. They migrate to Texas, Florida, Central America, and the Caribbean from fall through winter and into early spring.
Grey catbirds frequent suburban backyards, usually among deciduous trees, dense bushes, and thorny shrubbery. They also enjoy areas near water, such as streams, ponds, or marshes.
Catbirds tend to avoid dense forests or coniferous wooded areas.
Gray catbird with a red grape in its beak.
How to Bring Catbirds to Your Backyard
If you're hoping to spot a Gray catbird on your property, Schultz says to create the ideal habitat to bring them in. If you're lucky, the birds will nest near your home, and you can watch them raise their young. Catbirds like to build bulky nests low to the ground within dense brush and often (ambitiously) raise two broods each spring.
"Plant holly, crabapple, blackberry, strawberry, cherry, and hedges. Don't be afraid to leave things a little untidy. The catbird is there to feast and won't be scoring your garden on aesthetics," she added. Catbirds also enjoy dogwoods, winterberry, and serviceberry.
Adult catbirds mostly dine on berries, insects, larvae, spiders, and bugs. They scratch the ground with their feet and use their bills to move leaves and twigs around in search of a buggy meal.
When they have young, they offer the nestlings primarily bugs and insects. You can help catbirds by placing dried mealworms outside on a smooth, flat tray such as the Kaytee Cedar Bird Bath or Feeder. They will scoop up the worms and take them to their young.
You could also offer suet cakes featuring mealworms to attract catbirds to your yard. Slip a Kaytee Seed & Mealworm Treat Cake or Kaytee Songbird Seed Cake with Mealworms into the Kaytee Cedar Seed & Suet Feeder, then wait to see which feathered friends show up.
Enjoy Time with Catbirds
Whether it's the wailing, cat-like cry, the feisty personality, or the ability to mimic other birds, the Gray catbird offers birdwatchers ample entertainment. Just look for the sleek gray bird with a dapper black cap.
As your birding hobby grows, so do your backyard supplies. Learn more about what you need to keep in Wild Bird Supplies You Need To Attract Birds To Your Yard.