Life List 113
Visually documented
Gray Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
- First photographed
- July 27, 2026
- First location
- Colorado, United States
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
An evolving study
Gray Catbird portfolio
This collection grows as I return to photograph new behavior, habitat, seasons, and stages of life.
Natural history
Species at a glance
Dumetella carolinensis
Overview
The Gray Catbird is a secretive thicket songbird and accomplished mimic. Its song strings together varied whistles and borrowed sounds, while its nasal mew call gives the species its English name.
Identification
Smooth slate-gray plumage with a black cap, dark tail, and a rich chestnut patch beneath the tail that is often hidden. The bill is slim and dark, and the eye appears black.
Range
Breeds across southern Canada and much of the United States. It winters in the southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and locally northern South America.
Habitat
Dense shrubs, woodland edges, streamside tangles, regenerating clearings, gardens, parks, and fruiting thickets.
Diet
Insects, spiders, beetles, ants, berries, and other fruit; fruit becomes especially important in late summer and during migration.
Photography by Brittany Templin