A Gray Catbird

October 6, 2026

I seldom see (or hear) a Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) up here. But for the past few days I’ve been hearing one, and yesterday I was able to see it and get a picture of it. Along with some Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), they were enjoying the berries in the Flowering Dogwood trees (Cornus florida) which are prolific this year.

Their song is a long series of varied sounds, often lasting for many minutes. The song includes whines, nasal tones, gurgles, squeaks and whistles. But the one thing that I notice in particular is the catlike mews.

So very glad I was able to get a picture.

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    Published by

    Brenda Clements Jones

    Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

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