Photo: AMMuench / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Grey Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
Grey Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Grey Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) is a member of the Mimidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 35.3 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Mimidae Mockingbirds, Thrashers
- Genus Dumetella
- Species carolinensis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 35.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Mimidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Male vs female
Sexes look alike: both are uniform slate-gray with a black cap, blackish tail, and a rich rufous-brown patch under the tail.
Juvenile appearance
Juveniles are duller and plainer overall with buffy (not rusty) undertail coverts and cloudy grayish eyes, molting into adult colours within their first months.
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Grey Catbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Grey Catbird is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Grey Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) is a member of the Mimidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across North America. Its distribution covers NA widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 35.3 g, with a wing length of about 9.1 cm and a tail of around 9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 6.8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Grey Catbird?
The Grey Catbird is a small bird that weighs around 35.3 g.
Where does the Grey Catbird live?
The Grey Catbird is found across North America with a range covering NA widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Grey Catbird belong to?
The Grey Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) belongs to the Mimidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Grey Catbird eat?
The Grey Catbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Grey Catbird migrate?
The Grey Catbird is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Grey Catbird endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Grey Catbird make?
1 real field recording of the Grey Catbird — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Grey Catbird's range?
The Grey Catbird has a mapped global range of about 6.8 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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