# Gray Catbird

*Dumetella carolinensis*

Related to mockingbirds, the Gray Catbird can mimic the songs of other birds, tree frogs, and even mechanical sounds, often stringing them together in a long, improvised melody.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Mimidae › Dumetella
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Dense thickets, woodland edges, suburban gardens, and shrubby areas near water.
- **Diet:** Omnivorous; primarily eats insects (beetles, ants, grasshoppers) and a wide variety of wild berries and fruits.
- **Range:** North America, Central America, Caribbean
- **Size:** 21-24 cm length; 35-40g mass
- **Lifespan:** 10-17 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation, outdoor domestic cats, and collisions with man-made glass structures.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and shy. Safe to observe from a distance. If an injured bird is found, use a towel to gently place it in a ventilated box and contact a local wildlife rehabilitator. Avoid handling with bare hands to prevent stress to the bird.

## About

The gray catbird ( Dumetella carolinensis ), also spelled grey catbird , is a medium-sized North American and Central American perching bird of the mimid family. It is the only member of the "catbird" genus Dumetella . Like the black catbird ( Melanoptila glabrirostris ), it is among the basal lineages of the Mimidae, probably a closer relative of the Caribbean thrasher and trembler assemblage than of the mockingbirds and Toxostoma thrashers. In some areas it is known as the slate-colored mockingbird .

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/1d628461-78ae-4105-abc2-b02c4f42917b
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/14995
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumetella carolinensis
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/129956324/medium.jpg (kirk gardner, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.