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A North American catbird, Dumetella carolinensis, with gray plumage and a dark cap, perches on a thin branch against a blurred green background. A gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) with smooth gray plumage and a darker cap stands on a mossy surface near water, facing right.
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A North American catbird, Dumetella carolinensis, with gray plumage and a dark cap, perches on a thin branch against a blurred green background.
North American catbird North American catbird (Dumetella carolinensis).

Catbird

bird
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A gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) with smooth gray plumage and a darker cap stands on a mossy surface near water, facing right.
North American catbirdNorth American catbird (Dumetella carolinensis).

Catbird, any of five bird species named for their mewing calls, which are used in addition to song. The North American catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), of the family Mimidae (order Passeriformes), is 23 cm (9 inches) long and is gray, with a black cap. It frequents gardens and thickets. The black catbird (Melanoptila glabrirostris) is found in coastal Yucatán.

The three species of the genus Ailuroedus, of the bowerbird family (Ptilonorhynchidae), are also called catbirds. These green birds occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands. The male does not build a bower but holds territory in the forest by loud singing. For the related tooth-billed catbird, see bowerbird.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.