Skip to content
Henry Sowell

Vol. I · Est. 2026

Pl. XXXIII
Field-journal plate: Gray Catbird
The Gray Catbird plate as rendered on the e-ink frame
As rendered on the frame

The Birds · Plate XXXIII

Gray Catbird

Dumetella carolinensis

Mimidae · Taxon 14995

Length21–24 cm (8.3–9.4 in)
Wingspan22–30 cm (8.7–11.8 in)
Weight23–57 g (0.8–2.0 oz)

Field marks

  1. Smooth slate-gray plumage overall
  2. Small dark to blackish cap
  3. Long, rounded blackish tail
  4. Narrow, straight dark bill
  5. Rich rufous/chestnut undertail coverts
  6. Broad, rounded wings and relatively long dark legs

HabitatDense, low-growing cover: shrub and vine tangles, thickets, hedges, brushy field edges, and streamside or woodland-edge vegetation.

BehaviorSecretive but energetic; forages on the ground and in shrubs, often flipping leaf litter with its bill. Its voice includes varied phrases and a characteristic catlike mew.

Palette

slate graycharcoal blackrufous chestnutdark brownblue-gray