Bird of the Week: Gray Catbird

Gray Catbird. Photo by Pete Arnold.

Rather than a mew, you are likely to get a long recital of miscellaneous syllables from this mimic. They’ve been heard to imitate various mechanical noises and 44 other bird species. But they are hard to see as they hop around in dense shrubbery looking for ants, beetles, caterpillars and small fruits. In late August, our catbirds will begin to migrate east before heading south to winter along the Gulf of Mexico.

Published June 23, 2010, in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Text by Barb Gorges, photo by Pete Arnold.