Gray Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyMimidae (Mockingbirds and Thrashers)
- GenusDumetella
- SpeciesDumetella carolinensis (Gray Catbird)
About the Gray Catbird
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.
The name Dumetella is based upon the Latin term dūmus ("thorny thicket"); it thus means approximately "small thornbush-dweller" or "small bird of the thornbushes". It refers to the species' habit of singing when hidden in undergrowth. The specific name carolinensis is Neo-Latin for "from the Carolinas".
The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1766 edition of Systema Naturae. His original name Muscicapa carolinensis reflected the belief, widespread at that time, that the gray catbird was some sort of Old World flycatcher (presumably due to its remarkably plain coloration, not similar to other mimids).
The genus name has a convoluted nomenclatorial history. The monotypic... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Gray Catbird in Gros Morne National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Gros Morne National Park
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
White-throated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis
Black-and-white Warbler
Mniotilta varia
Yellow Warbler
Setophaga petechia
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Regulus calendula
Swainson's Thrush
Catharus ustulatus
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Northern Waterthrush
Parkesia noveboracensis
Savannah Sparrow
Passerculus sandwichensis
Magnolia Warbler
Setophaga magnolia
Fox Sparrow
Passerella iliaca
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.