Gray Catbirds are in a bird family known as the “Mimidae” – because they mimic other birds, other animals, and even mechanical sounds. Other members of their family in Florida include the Brown Thrasher and the Northern Mockingbird – two excellent mimics that we often see and hear year-round as they feed, sing, and nest in relatively open vegetation. They often mimic the vocalizations of other bird species and it has been suggested that their mimicry may send the message that the area is crowded – and cause other birds to search for food elsewhere.
The Gray Catbird is a “skulker” – it usually stays relatively low in dense vegetation where it blends in well in the shadows with its dark-gray plumage trimmed with a black cap on its head and a bit of “bark-brown” under its tail. We usually find it when it intermittently gives its cat-like “meow” or when it finds a higher easy source of fruit or other foods.
So why does the Gray Catbird give its cat-like “meow”? Perhaps it’s because cats also often hunt in dense thickets and use their “meow” to communicate with other cats. By using its own “meow”, perhaps the Gray Catbird stimulates a response from a nearby cat – alerting the catbird to its presence and perhaps getting it to move away.
Gray Catbirds – “Skulkers” and Hunters in Dense Vegetation
