Description: The Gray Catbird is a slender, medium-sized songbird with long legs and tail. They are overall gray and characterized by their dark gray cap and reddish-brown patch under their tails.
Regions: Catbirds can be found throughout most of the US during the breeding season. Some live year-round along the Atlantic Coast and others will migrate to the Gulf Coast to spend their winters.
Behavior: Male catbirds can be territorial during the spring and summer months. The male catbird will use his song to claim his territory.
Main problems: If a catbird enters a building they tend to take low, short flights between cover and shelves. They are skittish and may only be active at certain times during the day or night. Catbirds can also be garden pests if you are growing berries.
Catbirds live in low vegetation among dense thickets or shrubbery, foraging for insects and fruit.
Catbirds tend to have short, quick flights between cover. They like horizontal branches in dense bushes or shrubs.
In their natural habitat, they are extremely vocal and are able to mimic other birds as well as frogs. Sometimes their vocalizations can last up to 10 minutes. Their most common call mimics a cat, hence their name.
The oldest recorded Catbird was approx. 17 yrs and 11 months old. It was captured in NJ and then re-captured in MD before being released.