North Louisiana Wildlife
Gray catbird looking around from its perch on a tree branch

Did you know that gray catbirds can tell when brown-headed cowbirds lay eggs in their nests and throw the cowbird eggs out?

Gray Catbirds
at
a Glance

Gray catbird looking out from its perch on a branch

Key Features:

Gray catbirds are gray birds with long tails and cinnamon under their tails.

Least Concern - Population Stable

Habitat:

Gardens, fields, forest edges, and swamps with dense undergrowth

nesting habits:

Gray catbirds build nests on vines, in shrubbery, and in trees out of bark, grass, hair, mud, pine needles, rootlets, straw, and twigs.

seasons gray catbirds are active in our area:

Spring, summer

Diet:

Insects, berries, green briers, and poison ivy

hunting Behavior:

Gray catbirds forage on the ground under shrubbery and low tree branches.

Commonly Confused With:

Brewer's Blackbirds, Brown-Headed Cowbirds, and Northern Mockingbirds

Northern mockingbird standing on the edge of a roof

Gray catbirds are often confused with northern mockingbirds because both are gray birds. Female northern mockingbirds have white throats, breasts, and bellies.

Female brown-headed cowbird on a wooden walkway

Gray catbirds are often confused with female brown-headed cowbirds because both are similar body shape and size. Female brown-headed cowbirds are a little bigger.

Look for gray catbirds in your backyard in spring and summer.

error: Content is protected !!
Skip to content