The Gray Catbird Amuses Guests at the B&B

Have you ever wondered when you’ve been hiking or birding and you suddenly think you hear a cat meowing?  Well it might not be a cat.  Gray Catbirds vigorously defend their nesting territory and if you get too close you might hear their call which sounds much like the scratchy mewing of a house cat.  They also like to mimic other birds and have a whole repetoire of calls, which they usually repeat twice,  sometimes sounding very similar to the Brown Thrasher, the greatest mimic in the Ontario bird world.

The pair of Gray Catbirds that are calling Bluebird Meadows home this season seem to really like the grape jelly feeder we put out for Baltimore Orioles.  They also like the peanut suet feeding station as well.  They also like to frequent our high-bush cranberry shrubs which were loaded this spring with last years berries.

The Gray Catbird lays usually 4 dark blue/green eggs usually in a shrubby thickets, brambles or hedgerows.  They also like to be near water.

Ever vigilant the Gray Cat bird defends their nest against intruders.

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