Not only do males and females look alike, but they also behave similarly.The Gray catbird is the state bird of Tennesee.Gray Catbird Factsīefore we talk about the unique sounds that the Gray catbird makes, let’s look at some other interesting facts about these birds. They spend the winter along the Atlantic Coast of Mexico and Central America, as well as the Caribbean islands. If you’re in California, that’s not a catbird you hear! However, many Gray catbirds migrate all over the US for their breeding season, except for the West Coast. Some Gray catbirds live full-time as residential birds along the entire Atlantic Coast. They are about the same size and have the same coloration, feather shapes, and patterns. Male and female Gray catbirds are nearly indistinguishable from one another. Sexually monomorphic birds look about the same, regardless of sex. Sexual dimorphism means that the male and female of a species look distinct from one another. Many birds are sexually dimorphic, but catbirds are monomorphic. The Gray catbird is a medium-sized songbird with long legs, rounded wings, a straight bill, and a long black tail.

The Gray Catbird: A Bird That Sounds Like a Cat If you hear these sounds but know there are no cats around, you might be hearing the song of a catbird! In fact, many birders use catbirds as their introduction to identifying birds by sound because they have such a distinctive call. What about meowing? Or howling like a cat in distress? Are there birds that make these sounds? Not all birds are mimics, but those who are capable of doing so will mimic machinery, human voices, other birds, and totally different animals. You may already know that birds are capable of sounding like many other creatures, including the barking owl that sounds like a dog and the lyrebird that sounds like a crying human baby.

Have you ever heard an animal sound that you can’t quite identify? Is that a kid? A bird? A cat? A creaking garden gate?

Identifying nocturnal animal sounds