The Gray Catbird: NARRATED

[@9798angel]

“One of the dullest birds you never seen” 😆 love your humor throughout! I live in Connecticut and see many of them so I’m lucky to have seen the dullest 😜Love when I see your reminder come up for a video!! Thank u as always!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

You're welcome, Angel. Hearing such appreciation from you is part of what keeps me doing my best work on each new film. (And it's a pleasure to hear from someone who has actually been watching and appreciating Gray Catbirds.)

[@Jake-sz2ij]

Great video I have watched catbirds my whole life and never realize the male had the rust patch Under The tail! I love beauty berries we had a great one at our old house

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I believe you about not seeing the rust crissum. I show him in a tree where the underside of his tail is clearly visible, but the lighting isn't great, and it simply looks black. I'm with you about Beauty Berries! Their name is appropriate, and it's such a pleasure to see the birds enjoying those berries.

[@johnifly]

EXCELLENT video of the catbird Jo Alwood! Catbirds are among my FAVORITE songbirds here in east-central Pennsylvania! I just heard some males singing the other day and I think they were running late this year! They usually return the first week of May! I have a mock-orange shrub down at my brother's place and catbirds will build a nest in it and raise young, as they LOVE to nest and hide in thick shrubbery! I find them hilarious as they are shy birds but will spy at me from the safety of thick shrubbery! Thanks for posting this about one of my favorite songbirds!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

The gray catbird it is one of my favorites too. The ones in our yard and woods have become much less shy around us in the last year or two. Their trust increased when we began putting out dried meal worms. Last week my husband started putting the meal worms within four or 5 feet of a bench we sit on in the woods. They are the bravest of all the birds about coming so close to eat, which has certainly surprised us.

[@loisromano1886]

Loved this. Saw one for the very first time today in SC..been a bird watcher for a very long time...ive heard it and always thought it was a mockingbird making the noises. Filled the birdbath and there it was. Thanks for the video.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

They're elegant, aren't they, Lois? I had a chance to film one singing--first chance I've ever gotten--and he let me get so close that his head filled the frame as he sang. Gotta make a movie about that! (But there are others ahead of it in the queue.) Now that I've done a little shameless self promotion, let me add that I'm smiling as I envision your delight when you saw him.

[@christieallen-petree5974]

I was looking for this funny fearless bird that is running around my backyard and fence and patio and I thought it was so pretty and cool and thanks to your video I know what it is now. They are fast and don't stay still very long but are very beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

You're welcome, Christie. It's fun to hear from someone who's been watching and enjoying these handsome birds run around. I love 'em!

[@christieallen-petree5974]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME everyday I see these I think beautiful bird's running around with bunnies and horses. We have a lot of woodpeckers of all kinds and I noticed these fearless birds running on the fence and I said it looks like they have black mohawk but they never sit long enough for a picture and I thought well I will look it up I know we have a lot of bird's in Indiana but I have never seen anything like this funny beautiful bird and I found your video and of course one was on the fence singing as I watched it and I was like ok now you want to sit still. Lol your video was lovely because I love the way you talk about all the bird's I see from morning until bed. They are so beautiful and sing like a beautiful song. I put on don't worry be happy and they line up on my wood fence and sing and listen.

[@lesabooth5243]

OMG I was camping last week and I've been going crazy trying to figure out what this bird I was hearing and seeing. Now I know.. Thanks Jo ❤️ your such a wonderful narrator!! So funny too 😉😉👍

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I appreciate your appreciation, Lesa. Thanks. This other movie I did about the Catbirds is better at helping you sort out their sounds (for next time you go camping). kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWi5ZZyEr6iXg6s

[@russellmartin3951]

Spotted my first gray catbird in April 2022 in central Virgina. That black eye really stands out. It was on my leaf covered patio near some fairly thick shrubs. Very nice.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I love them so much that I’ve made four movies about them, one of which shows my husband and me getting a Catbird to eat from our hands.

[@carolsherwood8200]

I have never seen a grey catbird until this year. We live in upstate New York. They have built a nest in our dense Japanese Maple. There are several of these birds in our yard. They perch on our deck and sound exactly like a cat crying. I thoroughly enjoy watching them. They seem rather bold, as I have been able to get quite close to them. I enjoyed the video very much. Thank you.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I have also been discovering how bold they can be, Carol. I've been putting dried mealworms mixed with grape jelly on the ground six or 7 feet from where I sit, and they are the bravest of all the local birds about coming close to me to eat. They've come to trust me to some extent anyway, and I feel honored. I'll be making another movie about them within the next month.

[@kooale]

We also love hearing the Catbird's remarkable, bizarrely complex, extremely nuanced repertoire! We consider it an unusually elegant (sure, austere, think Bryan Ferry/Roxy Music) spring time visitor to our S. Wisconsin in town/village back yard feeders (minimal dense brush & shrub, mostly big old trees galore.) Thanks Jo, yer great!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I appreciate the compliment, Ken, and I enjoyed reading your description of the Catbird's mimicry. You like nuanced bird song and, I gather, nuanced language.

[@pollinateordie6399]

I've had my feeders out for about 3 years now and sometimes have 8 catbirds at a time in the area surrounding them. They are pretty much addicted to my peanut butter suet feeder. I have a shrubby wild cherry and a very large viburnum nearby so they love perching in those plants while waiting for the suet feeder to become empty. I was kinda blase' about them at first but have really grown to love them. They bicker amongst themselves just enough to be entertaining but not so much as to be annoying. Truly a worthy bird to have in any garden.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

We've never had more than two pairs and haven't seen them bickering. We've got all the habitat they want, but you must have way more of what they like. Keep on keeping them happy.

[@TheFineLine920]

Mine stay here year round. Do not seem to migrate. N.C. I am so happy I found you! Great informative videos! 💕

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Welcome, Rea. I've got close to 300 videos up, so you can browse to your heart's content. And after I did this movie in 2018, I did three more about the Gray Catbirds last summer--including one about how we got a catbird to eat from our hands. I bet you'd find those interesting.

[@TrueToad]

This is the first year we saw Gray Catbirds visit our backyard starting in early March. We now have fledglings hanging around taking advantage of our berries and feeders. Birds are wonderful.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I'm pleased for your sake. I've been filming the adult and juvenile Catbirds in our Serviceberry tree. They LOVE those berries and visit the tree often, despite the fact that the local Mockingbird thinks he owns those berries and attacks the other species when they visit.

[@TheJacksnipe]

In 1994 I spent few weeks in Rhode Island on a campground close to the coast (Narragansett). Gray Catbird was my friend during that time and always had breakfast and dinner with me, standing on my binoculars and waiting for food (mealworms). I am from Germany and will always remember these exciting times when I was exploring Rhode Island's wildlife. It had been my very first trip to the US and many followed. Thank you for this beautiful and interesting video and keep on filming. Btw.: You are a good speaker!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I enjoyed your account of your trip to Rhode Island. I've posted two more movies about Gray Catbirds this summer, and on Oct. 6th, I'll post another showing him eating out of my husband's hand as well as my own. Like you, we used dried mealworms to lure him close.

[@quote_nature]

"Pours out a casual careless babble" I think not! more of a beautiful collection of songs that always confuses me momentarily until I realize that the Gray Catbird is back! :) Thanks for the info Jo! Always enjoyed! Regards, Cathy

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Cathy, I always consult Pete Dunne--the author of the "casual, careless babble" line--before I write a script. sometimes I quote him and other times plagiarize a word here and there--like the line about "Bre'r Rabbit. So some of your enjoyment is Dunne's doing. But most of what I say is my own, and I thank you for complimenting it. I do so recognize what you mean about momentary confusion and then realizing you're hearing the Catbird. Two or three other people have said the same thing, so I guess it's a common reaction to him. But you did a good job of describing it. Do you ever consider writing scripts yourself?

[@quote_nature]

Maybe one day Jo, if and hopefully when I can retire : ) Best wishes for the week!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

You put up all that content and work too? I'm in awe. I would never have taken on this challenge while I was still working. Good on ya.

[@joseenoel8093]

What a treat! Life is good!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Life is good, I agree, Josee. And I've been filming the Catbirds lately because they're nesting in our backyard and visiting our Serviceberry tree--though the local Mockingbird chases them and every other species out of it as if he himself had planted the tree.

[@TK-cl1jm]

I found this because we have a catbird here in Vermont that has taken to singing his(her?) heart out several times a day from the tip-top of a dead locust tree in our yard. such a crazy song! I love it!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

They're the most talkative birds in our yard. Not the loudest, but the longest.

[@WorldScott]

Jo Alwood, that reddish-orange underside reminds me of the California Towhee that I grew up with. Just like the Gray Catbird it can be a bit tricky to catch a glimpse of the color. I remember catching one that had accidentally flown into our house and gotten stuck and being able to more clearly see the colored underside. Pretty stuff! :-)

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I caught a glimpse of a California Towhee on our visit to Oakland last year. Not surprisingly, though, I sure didn't see any reddish-rust color on him.

[@VictoriaN72]

I was so happy to have one entertain me this past summer. I captured several images as he studied me sitting with camera.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I know exactly how you felt, Vicki. AFTER I had posted this film, one of the Catbird pairs in our woods decided to nest at the edge of the yard, and the male sang every morning on the utility wires above the shrub they were nesting in. I could film to me heart's content, and it was beautiful! But now what am I going to do with the footage? 😏

[@Vbluevital]

Very well done. If people allow natives to grow or plant and minimize worthless lawn, you will be blessed with friendly catbirds. Ours are quite tame feeding close to our deck on wild grapes, Mullbery and cherry. So many birds have altered their normal migrations. Please assist them when the climate is against this gamble with escalating climate change chaos from fossil fuel use and habitat destruction. It's paticularily nice you show cases birds' food sources. Thank You!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thank you for your thoughtful comment. My husband is a gardener, and he just tore out a huge swath of plants and replaced them all with native plants. I do want to encourage people to plant natives--but without getting preachy about it.

[@Vbluevital]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Okay, our planet is dying. Nature preachy IS what humans may need. 🙈🙉🙊 Love your videos! 👼

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yes, we're killing the planet, and if I thought preachy would work, I'd go for it with a bullhorn. Most people aren't going to believe climate change is the only issue to care about, though, until the weather flattens them. At which point, of course, it will be too late. So I try to show people what there is to love in nature and pray that humanity will wake up. It's good to know that you're enjoying my movies.

[@Vbluevital]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I know you are wonderfully informed, totally sincere and kindly diplomatic to encourage all. 💌

[@natedizzle3026]

Love this video! The catbird is my favorite songbird here in central maine. If you can whistle the same song repeatedly, with some luck and several minutes patience, they will sing it back to you. Thanx jo!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I didn't know that! I wish I had. We had a pair nest in the bushes under some utility wires at the edge of the woods that border our property. Every morning, the male got on those wires and sang for half an hour. If I had only known he might copy what I whistle, I'd certainly have tried it. Sigh. Maybe next year. Anyway, thank you for telling me that. I wonder if it would also apply to Brown Thrashers--which we also had nesting in our yard. I spent lots of time filming them and could easily have whistled to see if they'd eventually copy me. And Mockingbirds, of course, would do it. I just didn't think to try it.Surely at least one of those three species will be back in our yard next year. Maybe I'll find out if they'll do it. That would be fun!

[@cjwilliams55]

Glad I found this video. I have a mini-sanctuary and just recently discovered what this bird is called. We have four of them and they are very friendly. They love broken up peanuts. When they hear my voice, they come within inches of me. I love this bird.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

My experience with them is similar to yours, and I'll be making a couple more movies about them within the next couple of months.

[@cjwilliams55]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME That would be awesome, Jo. My little sanctuary has blue jays, cardinals. hummingbirds, fiches, black cap chicks, house wrens, carolina wrens. woodpeckers, chipmonks. squirrels, etc. I just got into birds a little over a year ago after I realized all of the birds in my area. I have feeders of safflower, black oil. wild bird, hummingbird nectar, suet cakes, etc. The woodpeckers love the suet cakes, but the red-bellied woodpecker also loves shelled peanuts. No one messes with the red-bellied woodpecker (we have two of them).

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@cjwilliams55 kzbin.info/www/bejne/emnUm6BjrLmNbNU kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIGvl3V_nMporLc Sorry to assign you so much homework. 😉 Hearing from my viewers and responding to their comments is a pleasure. Unfortunately I must forgo answering comments for awhile because the rotator cuff tear in my left arm is healing slowly, and I just learned that I have carpal tunnel syndrome in my right arm. I seem to have a body made out of spare parts. So I won’t be answering comments before the beginning of August, if then. But if there’s something you’d like to tell me, please do so. I’ll be interested in what you have to say. It’s just that you’ll have to guess at what I would have answered. (I’ll be pasting this answer to every comment I get for the next few weeks.)

[@cjwilliams55]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Just take care of yourself, Jo. Be well.

[@chrisfeistner8294]

Omaha, Nebraska. I have several feeders with different grains and several types of suet and fruit hanging from a tree in front of my apartment. This morning I had one of these beautiful birds visit. I did have to look him up, then remembered your video I had watched about 2 weeks ago. He sure liked the apple slices and cherry chunks I have in the platform feeder. Hope he keeps coming back.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

With that kind of feast on offer? I'd bet on it. And for your sake, I hope so. You might be interested to type "catbird Alwood" into the YT search box. I have others about them, especially one about how we got a catbird to eat from our hands.

[@chrisfeistner8294]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I've been watching and he keeps coming back. He must be living close to me. I know he was back 3 times the first day and has been back 2 times today in the rain. Yes I've watched a good number of your videos. Thank you for making them. They are always well done and quite clever with the dialogue. Keep up the good work.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@chrisfeistner8294 Thanks, Chris. Enjoy your catbird.

[@tylermansfield9091]

Great video! These videos are a great way to "birdwatch" in the tight grips of winter. I remember a birding trip I made, I thought I was hearing a Yellow Breasted Chat deep in the dense undercover in the woods...turned out it was only a Catbird making "chat like" calls. Although Catbirds are great, I'd take a Chat over a catbird any day. haha.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Feeders and KZbin vids, and you can make it through a single digits day. I enjoyed your Yellow-breasted Chat story, and much as I appreciate the Catbirds(I've done three other movies about them, including one about getting a Catbird to eat from our hands), the Chat would be the prize to look at.

[@kiskakuznetsova503]

I love catbirds too. Their look is so chic and it's all about the song (and berries) for them!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I always did think the catbirds were, as you put it, chic. Then I got to know one of them better and turned into even more of a fan. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYOQdJqMdqyGr7M

[@kjjohnson7208]

We found a bird nest on our back porch light and by the time we discovered it, it had already had eggs in it.. They look like catbird eggs and I enjoyed learning about them from your video. Maybe I’ll leave some food out for mom and dad..😊

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I enjoy hearing about someone who's helping to take care of birds--especially Catbirds. They are the coolest! If you want to leave food out for them, I'd suggest dried mealworms. Man, do they ever go for mealworms. Most of the birds do. You'll suddenly find yourself very popular. We hang a cylinder feeder with them (from Wild Birds Unlimited) and spread them on the ground. The downside is how much the Starlings also love them. I filmed one yesterday leaving the area with at least six mealworms in his beak!

[@jennwhitneycataldo]

Our catbird nest is ALSO on top of our back porch light! They are onto their second or third brood of the season 😊

[@maggiealwood5119]

Jo you always excited me an l Love how you speak ❣

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks, Maggie. I promise not to change the way I speak. 😉

[@michaeldthree6042]

Not "never seen" this year! I have three cavorting on my third floor balcony right now, chirruping, chucking, squeaking and squawking...and mewing. I have heard and seen them occasionally in previous years at other residences, but they arrived in force in this suburb of Chicago a week or two ago. I'll put out berries for them, but they seem to like the suet cakes just fine. I enjoy your insightful videos!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Enjoyed your description of them! I'll be surprised if you have any luck with berries, but if you put some dried mealworms out, they will be your friends for the season.

[@jayandgato3723]

I remember hearing these guys outside my work close to 20 years ago; since they sounded a bit like a cat and I had heard of "catbirds," I surmised they were one and the same. And I was correct, even though I hadn't noticed them before. Somehow I never knew they were such accomplished mimics, until this year, when a friend told me about her catbird. This little fellow mines marrow from bones left by her dog and says lots of things. She calls him Jerry, because it's one of the things he likes to say, with a somewhat comical nagging tone. Cuties.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Well dadgummit, I relish corresponding with my viewers, but right now I can't, not before the end of August. On the 13th I am having a stem cell procedure done to minimize my carpal tunnel syndrome. Until that has time to heal, I might occasionally type five or six words but usually I'll just paste this answer so that commenters will understand why I didn't respond specifically. Please know that I still enjoy reading your comments. Thank goodness the carpal tunnel doesn't keep me from filming--which I love doing!--but I've had to hire my granddaughter to edit movies for me. One way or another, I'll continue to post every Tuesday.

[@rebeccacorbin4150]

Had a Catbird visit my jelly feeder twice today .👏🏻👏🏻 Overland Park ,Kansas

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yes, indeed: clap, clap, clap! We've been mixing dried mealworms with grape jelly and putting it on the ground a few feet from where we sit on a bench near a creek in the woods behind our house. Surprisingly, the Catbirds are the most daring about coming so close to us, though the Cardinals are getting brave too. Brown Thrashers show up and make pigs of themselves. The Bluejays don't dare come that close--not what I would have expected. They inspect the scene often ... and leave every time.

[@farmerjones5479]

Well done. My garden has attracted a host of catbird over past 10 years My food forest is now mature.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

And I bet one of the things that attracts the cat birds is that you have berries. In case you’re interested, I’ve done three other movies about these birds as well, including one about how we got a cat bird to eat from our hands.

[@farmerjones5479]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME why thank you. I will check it out. I'm on Instagram @Farmer_Jones_1880. And yes lots of berries is understatement. The original bird used to get angry when I picked raspberries in the morning. Now they are a gang! Such beautiful songs they are pushy but I love them. When the birdbath is low they tell me.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@farmerjones5479 👌

[@plzhd2]

Thanks!!! I think I’ve seen a couple of these!!! I place dry n live mealworms out for bluebirds as well as berries! Did get blessed today with one bluebird egg! Will keep a better eye out for these feathered friends 😊 ❤️❤️❤️

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Do you by any chance have woods nearby? We do, and I think that's why they show up here--well, that and the mealworms we provide. Good luck spotting one. Let me know if you do.

[@lizzzzzzzz]

i just saw my first catbird the other day, eating suet. i had been hearing a new bird and then i saw it!! i love gray with an accent color. i dress myself that way often, so this bird is absolutely beautiful to me. i was so excited. thanks for this video, it was wonderful to learn more about them!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Catbirds Love dried mealworms. If you want to make friends with them permanently, throw some on the ground regularly. Our catbirds have gotten used to us because we do that, and now we can throw it on the ground four or 5 feet from where we are sitting and they will come--nervously, so far, but they do come to eat. I get the biggest kick out of them.

[@lizzzzzzzz]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME awesome! i actually bought some mealworms recently. i had mixed them in with my regular bird seed, but id love to entice the catbird (not sure if there's more than one) to come closer. when it was at the suet feeder it was actually very unafraid compared to other birds that come to the feeder. i think i was about 20 feet away and it just looked at me curiously. it was pretty cool, so i think you're right that i could have a close encounter. thanks for the tip :D

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@lizzzzzzzz it takes a lot of patience to get them to come within a few feet of you, but you could spread the mealworms on the ground near a window. In that case they wouldn't be so skittish.

[@lizzzzzzzz]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME oh cool! i have a screened in porch that i can see out of that would be perfect for doing this.

[@joelsandler1119]

I found a injured bird by a CVS in southern Florida that apparently flew into the glass door. I tried to revive it but it wouldn't come too. I'm sure it's neck was broken, but I could tell it was barely alive. I didn't know what kind of bird it was until I researched it on the internet. It had to be a male because the color was vivid. I held it in my hands and tried in vain to wake him up. Now I'm in love with the gray catbird.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Oh, they are super cool birds, Joel. Check out this other video I made about me getting one to eat out of my hands: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYOQdJqMdqyGr7Msi=aY0UYTAop7EamdhO

[@Friskee62]

That was a VERY cool vid...like the upright bass in the background as well.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks, Thomas.Yeah, that bass is understated--like the bird itself.

[@Friskee62]

Very cool bird. I remember hearing them here in New York State but didn't know what species they were.

[@Missrenee21]

Hi Jo! Spotted this bird today and wasn’t quite sure what it was at first. I did my google research based on the coloring, most notable the rust color under the tail, and found the name. It’s interesting because I’ve heard the calls and didn’t know that all the while it was a bird and not a kitten,lol. As always, love your channel. 😊🐣

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

We've been seeing them down in the woods behind our house and up near the house too. Love 'em! Sometime this summer i'll probably do a movie about all three of our mimids: Gray catbirds, mockingbirds, and brown thrashers. I hope you get to see a lot more of yours!

[@redbeardsbirds3747]

I put some blueberries out for the birds this morning...a Catbird likes them more than the other birds and swallows them whole! I was happy to help the little fella! lol

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

It's fun to hear about it. I tried putting grapes out cut into fourths. I even put them in the middle of a pile of dried mealworms, a treat the birds love. But none of them, including the Catbird, touched the grapes. We just put a few blueberries out, but we're skeptical that the birds will eat them. If they do, I'll let you know. We have lots of berries in our yard anyway--Serviceberries, Pagoda Dogwood berries, Wild Cherries, elderberries, choke berries, beauty berries, and winterberries. Oh, and holly berries.

[@arthaburd3524]

Thank you for this Jo 😍🥰😘

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

My pleasure, Artha. And last year, I made three more films about the Gray Catbird, including one about how we got him to eat from our hands: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYOQdJqMdqyGr7M

[@ChaiLatte13]

I love this. hahah Their mewing is really cute. I had a tuxedo cat that would mew exactly like the catbird, so it finally made sense to me.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Seems like I’ve been hearing that mewing everywhere I go lately. It always brings a smile.

[@dessertsushi592]

i have a little catbird friend that follows me around when i water the plants in my yard - he especially likes to hop closer when i have the hose on the mist setting

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

You're the first person I've heard from who had formed such a bond with a Catbird. And our bond was so short lived that it almost didn't count. But you're right about how cute he was, as if he were asking, "Why don't you answer me?"

[@vaveevo]

Gray Catbirds can fool you with the cat noise. For a few days in a row, we thought a stray cat was hiding somewhere near the house, but couldn't find it no matter how much we looked. Then we saw the real culprit... the humble catbird. A fun fact about Catbirds and Brown Thrashers: they make those long songs to impress mates! They show off how far they traveled and how many sounds they learned by repeating all the sounds in a row. It's like saying... look at me! I traveled all over and am a super fit and impressive bird!

[@varikvalefor]

They sound enough like cats to have fooled my uncle when he was younger!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I can tell them apart, but I've had cats all my life. The fact that the Catbirds could fool your uncle when he was a child just makes my point that the call is easy to recognize and therefore easy to learn.

[@varikvalefor]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME: I can, too (as can the rest of my family), and I understand the bit about convincing people of the relative simplicity of his call when compared to various birds who sound very similar to people who aren't familiar with them.

[@kosycat1]

I have cat birds in my garden/food forest. they love it just noticed a few fledglings yesterday

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yes, they're actually pretty common anyplace that has some woods. And it's a pleasure to see their fledglings and know that their species is prospering.

[@jarmilakacirkova]

A beautiful video, complementing the comment, makes a great acquaintance with this absolutely unknown species for me. Thank you very much. Jarmila

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I'm glad you enjoyed the movie, Jarmila. You must have an active mind and much curiosity to want to learn about birds you probably will never see. Do you get any mimids in the Czech Republic?

[@jarmilakacirkova]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I'm sorry, but I do not understand the question. Jarmila

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

A mimid is a bird that imitates the songs of other birds, like Mockingbirds, Thrashers and Catbirds. I wondered if you have birds like that where you are.

[@jarmilakacirkova]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Thank you for the explanation. We have such species as Hippolais icterina or Phoenicurus phoenicurus. If you have time to watch a video of this kind kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZjbkJ9ulN98n7s kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmiYpqtmYrpmppY Thank you. Regards. Jarmila

[@davidandrew6347]

Gorgeous Catbirds.

[@kimberlyreilly5710]

Finally I know the owner of that beautiful song!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Lately they've become my favorite bird because I've been putting mealworms and grape jelly on the ground near a bench I sit on, and the Catbirds are so brave about coming close and so HUNGRY, and so cute.

[@jesseschmidt04]

Best damn catbird video online, bar none!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Oooh! Now that's the kind of compliment I savor.

[@roguereemerged]

My wooded lot there ate a LOT of grey catbirds! Central NJ They are so loud and talkative it feels like they are screaming at me! Lol

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

It often seems to me that they are the most talkative ones in the woods behind our house.

[@gatorgityergranny]

loved your narration. i just heard of you from an old Lesley the Bird Nerd vid. i'll be back soon. thanks.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Nice to hear from you--especially with such a compliment! I've got a couple hundred of these narrated films, so yes, do come back soon.

[@giannirocco9099]

Yeah,they seem to prefer thickets,they visit every winter and I enjoy them very much!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

The gray catbird it is one of my favorites too. The ones in our yard and woods have become much less shy around us in the last year or two. Their trust increased when we began putting out dried meal worms. Last week my husband started putting the meal worms within four or 5 feet of a bench we sit on in the woods. They are the bravest of all the birds about coming so close to eat, which has certainly surprised us.

[@classicalbunny]

I’ve heard this bird for years and I didn’t know what it was. It sounded to me like it was a drawn out, two syllable, “Mary”, with a nasal tone. Unfamiliar with the catbird, we called it, “the Mary bird”. This year I’ve only heard the “mewing” one time. I have no idea why we don’t hear them making their signature “mew”. Maybe they just decided they like to sing a different song, since they have a wide repertoire. We have lots of insects, berries, and brush, but we don’t see them. Only saw one catbird, one time when it came to eat an orange set out for the orioles.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I enjoyed hearing your history with the Catbird. Until this season, I never saw them either except that one winter of 2017. But this year, they've nested in some elderberries at the edge of the woods and the male sings all the time from the utility wires above the nest, letting me film him as much as I want. And they come to our berrying trees and show up for the dried mealworms we put on the ground. Sometime in the next few months, I'll be doing another movie about these elegant birds. Stay tuned.

[@marcusadjmi9639]

These guys and gals oft-find comfort in my tomato garden. They are not the slightest bashful ‘round THESE parts.

[@vistaprime]

one came to my yard and stayed right in the shrubs of my black currents. but alas, I chopped those currents down. Plan to plant some new shrub or flowers however. Those currents were just too sour though the Robins seemed to love them in the winter. But there are plans for a new cherry tree plus hollies, service berry, winterberries and dogberry farther back in our yard and our mulberry tree is growing quite nicely. I am hoping they will visit the Oriole feeders at least sometimes.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

It's a pleasure to read the list of berries you have or soon will have in your yard. When I see that, I know that here's someone serious about attracting birds to his yard.

[@pamelawolf313]

Oh how I loved this video.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Hearing from my viewers and responding to their comments is a pleasure. Unfortunately I must forgo answering comments for awhile because the rotator cuff tear in my left arm is healing slowly, and I just learned that I have carpal tunnel syndrome in my right arm. I seem to have a body made out of spare parts- made on the cheap in China. So I won’t be answering comments before the beginning of August, if then. But if there’s something you’d like to tell me, please do so. I’ll be interested in what you have to say. It’s just that you’ll have to guess at what I would have answered. (I’ll be pasting this answer to every comment I get for the next few weeks.)

[@milfordcivic6755]

I have a mating pair this year. The male every morning, mid afternoon and evening sings a crazy medley of songs, chirps and squeaks with mews mixed in. It's almost funny to hear it, as it just sounds so silly. The one that was here last summer used to mew in the thicket next to my house and play peek-a-boo. I'd call back to him and he'd start hopping around inside the bush and come out and mew at me. Then jump back in and hide....then pop out again sing and go back in.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

They are such characters! Love 'em. We got one to eat from our hand in 2020, and I made a movie about it. Feeling his claws on my hand was a treat I won't forget.

[@TheFineLine920]

Love & Respect! 💃💋💃

[@CeeStyleDj]

I like that bass-line at the end! 🎶

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

As for the bass-line, me too. And I'm glad you liked the video. thanks for commenting.

[@marilynarmstrong5237]

The catbirds have decided to move in. We live in woods and we have a lot of wild raspberries and blackberries. They have also developed a passion for suet. I think they are a very elegant bird and they do have a wonderful song.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Enjoy! They do love berries. We have serviceberries, elderberries, and mulberries. You might like to check out the movie I did about how my husband and I got one to eat from our hands. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYOQdJqMdqyGr7M

[@marilynarmstrong5237]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I have avoided getting any of them to eat from my hand. I'm old and sooner or later, these birds will have to be wild again. I don't want them so dependent -- and tame. I worry about what will become of them when I'm gone.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I understand your attitude and be assured that I share it. For one thing, I'm 81 myself. But this bird only ate from our hands a few times. We wouldn't have tried to tame it.

[@marilynarmstrong5237]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Our across the street neighbor used to feed birds too, but he passed away and we inherited all his birds. While I'm not expecting (76 with husband 81) to pop off tomorrow, we never know. Some of the small garden birds are really very friendly and I'm sure they would be much more friendly if I encouraged it. But I'd rather know they are able to survive as wild birds. New England is one of the better places for birds and we have many birds, including birds we wish would go away, like those brood-parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds and the Mourning doves. Even without help, they occasionally land on my son. He's big & tall. I'm pretty sure they think he's a tree.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@marilynarmstrong5237 Even despite your son's height, that's surprising--unless he wears a cap that has tree bark glued onto it.

[@curandero88]

Catbirds love Xalapa, Veracruz, too. But I do know many birds down here that will put my buddy the catbird to shame when it comes to singing, Just this morning: Melodious Blackbird. Also a turdus: Clay-colored robin.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I could also name birds here that sing more memorable songs: American Robins, Carolina Wrens, Northern Cardinals, and on and on. Each songster has its merits.

[@themermaidstale5008]

The catbird in the beautyberry is the money shot. TFS

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yeah, I love that shot.

[@ccdogpark]

I'm so glad you told us how to identify male catbirds versus females. Now I have something else to watch for.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I did? I don't think you CAN tell the sexes apart--wonder what I said that gave you that idea.

[@ccdogpark]

​@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I was compiling a playlist of catbird info a couple of days ago and I thought it was you that said that. When you look at a catbird from behind, the males have a reasonably large patch of red under their tail. I'm pretty sure I have already noticed this but I am going to start keeping our binoculars on the table and see if I can 100% confirm this, now that you have said you were not aware of this difference. I'm pretty sure I have at least 12 catbirds visiting regularly, so it shouldn't take too long. WRZ

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks for clarifying that, Bill. I looked in a Field Guide and was told that there are no discernible differences between the sexes. So I don't think you'll find any difference by checking the undertail coverts, but what the hey! You'll enjoy seeing that lovely maroon, right?

[@ccdogpark]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I think you are right. I'm glad I didn't repeat that bad information anywhere else.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Boy, how I identify with (and appreciate being saved from) making unnecessary mistakes. My husband is what I call a "real" birder. I'm not. I'm a videographer who enjoys filming birds. There's a huge difference in knowledge, and he usually manages to keep me from saying anything too silly.

[@spiked1344]

Thanks for the info on my favorite bird. Loved it!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Glad to hear it, Jon. We've been feeding them dried mealworms mixed with grape jelly, and they're willing to come within five or six feet of where we are sitting. It takes some patience, but if you want great looks at them ....

[@carschmn]

A family of catbirds has claimed my yard this year. They like to watch my dogs.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I would assume that they are keeping an eye on “the enemy”.

[@phoenixstarr]

Very nice and informative

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thank you. It's six years old but still one of my best. Love your screen name, Scrollin'. (And why don't you do some scrollin' on my channel? 😉)

[@CeeStyleDj]

Great video

[@MexicanMovie]

Great video ! I've been busy filming my first bird video to post up..... hopefully if all goes well it will be uploaded shortly before the end of June. I hope your shoulder heals up quickly !

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Let me know when it's up.

[@MexicanMovie]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Hi Jo... May 27 i found a 5 foot long water snake in the house and it had eaten the 5 babies already. Mom and dad Bluebird are safe and hung out for a day or so. This was meant to be my first video once the babies fledged. I relocated the birdhouse and added improved snake and predator protection late last night (May 29) and today (May 30) i see what appears to be a house wren building a nest. It's hard to watch because of the attachment that i had with the Bluebirds, but this bird seems friendly and lets me get right up to it, so I'm letting it move in... and filming of course. Maybe this story ends better, but i miss my Bluebirds.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Did you mean to say "this was meant to be"? Well anyway, it's how nature works. As I learned when I filmed a cardinal nest--and the nestlings fell victim to some predator overnight--60% of songbird nestlings are destined to become food. Predation kinda horrifies us, but there's no other way to prevent overpopulation and starvation.

[@MexicanMovie]

Yeah i meant the Bluebird video was meant to be my first video. Over 20 hours of footage and was guarding the birdhouse most nights but the night the snake got in i wasn’t able to be standing guard. I did a poor job predator proofing the first time as well.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

KP media wow, what a commitment. And I’ll bet you were about ready to be committed when you found that empty nest. You have my sympathy because I remember my own dismay and disbelief when I saw that empty nest. But why not make the movie anyway? You will be showing nature as it is. Here’s how I handled it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j528e2ifZZylgNE By the way, how did you know what kind of snake ate the nestlings? Did you leave a camera on the nest all night?

[@kraftygram5239]

I wanted to know what the bird was that visits me when I weed my garden. He seems to be curious about what I am doing. He isn’t afraid of me either. Now I know what he is.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Last summer my husband and I managed to get a Gray Catbird to eat from our hands. They're so brave. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYOQdJqMdqyGr7M

[@flashlitestriker4028]

Distinguished, truly! I'm gonna name my new Catbird friend, "Skulky"! (The sliced fresh peach I cut up for him (of her?) yesterday, a SQUIRREL came by to eat, instead of the Catbird, "Skulky"! Oh, well...)

[@johnwriterpoet1783]

They love grape jelly! They can't resist it.My poor Orioles have to wait for them to leave. Don't get me wrong, I love them!!!!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Well we don't get Orioles, so the catbirds can have it all. I'm going to the store in a few hours, and I'll get some grape jelly. Not that we really need it to make friends with them, John. We appeal to them with dried mealworms. Catbirds Love dried mealworms. If you want to make friends with them permanently, throw some on the ground regularly. Our catbirds have gotten used to us because we do that, and now we can throw it on the ground four or 5 feet from where we are sitting and they will come--nervously, so far, but they do come to eat. I get the biggest kick out of them.

[@ccdogpark]

Question: Approximately, when should I stop feeding catbirds if I want them to fly south this winter ? I don't want them to remain in this area because they think I will be a reliable source of food all winter. I am spending a lot of time and money providing grapes but my wife wont be amused if I continue doing this through the winter.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Well, we can't have your wife resenting what you spend on bird food. I'm no expert on your question. It'll depend on how far north you live. Here in Missouri, I'd probably quit in late September or the first half of October. (Or when grapes start getting more expensive once the season ends.)

[@terrilynn27allen88]

We see them all year round here. I didn't know much about them until now.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

They are one of my favorites. In fact I have three other movies about them, including one about how my husband and I got one to eat from our hands. So you see them all year round? You must live far south. My husband heard and saw our first of the year this afternoon.

[@terrilynn27allen88]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I live in Baltimore city. I will check out those videos.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@terrilynn27allen88 I was surprised that your answer was Baltimore City, so I checked the range map. Sure enough, it doesn’t show them wintering that far north- only in Florida and the very tip of the Gulf Coast area. But as I pointed out in the movie you watched, they are starting to show up further north in the winter once in awhile. Since you tell me you’re new to birding, maybe you just got one of those unusual winter strays. I mean, maybe next winter you won’t see any.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@terrilynn27allen88 I have to take it all back. It was actually my husband who checked the range map for me, and I told him at the time that I remembered putting up a range map-for the Catbird, I thought-that showed some bird’s range extending up the East Coast. I just re-watched the movie, and my memory had been correct. Turns out that he didn’t check carefully enough.

[@terrilynn27allen88]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I have been watching nature for about 14 years or so. Just never had the time to really learn about it. We have at least three that I know of. My aunt who is 80 says there was a nest for years in a tree in the church yard not far from here. She says that they would fly at people. You had to watch yourself. The tree is gone now that church is now a clothes store .

[@tehutimes1]

I've seen one eating mulberries in my mulberry tree and eating poke berries which Cardinals enjoy also.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mH_Mlnmvir-MrKc Well dadgummit, I can't answer you! Much as I enjoy corresponding with commenters, I can't type right now because I just had carpal tunnel syndrome repaired. All I can do is paste this explanation and hope that maybe sometime in September I can type again.

[@CATherine001]

There is no change in climate It’s a shorter commute with abundance of food that will attract the Catbird off his beaten path.

[@KnightedAce]

Anybody know how to get rid of this bird? I live in Florida and have a bird feeder up under my tree and get all types of birds. Sparrows all types, Red Cardinals, Blue Jays, Thrashers, Doves, Pigeons, and more. The Catbird started coming around about 4 days ago and he keeps attacking every bird and see scare away the sparrows and fight numerous times with the cardinals male and female and even the squirrels in the area. I took my feeder down for a day or two but not sure that will help. Any help would be appreciated.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

We usually have half a dozen cat birds in the war months, and I’ve never seen that kind of behavior from them. I will say, though, that they are mighty brave for such sculptures. If you watch the movie I made about how I got a cat bird to eat from my hand, you’ll see why I think that. So no, I don’t know anything I can say that would help except that maybe you have a bird with anger management issues.

[@joshy0369]

I like them

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Me too. So much so, in fact, that a couple of years after I made this video, I made another movie about how I got one to eat from my hand: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYOQdJqMdqyGr7M

[@shelleyottenbrite6616]

I was visited by one with big spots on his/her back -- very sweet bird. Can you tell the sex easily?

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Sexes look alike. Hearing from my viewers and responding to their comments is a pleasure. Unfortunately I must forgo answering comments for awhile because the rotator cuff tear in my left arm is healing slowly, and I just learned that I have carpal tunnel syndrome in my right arm. I seem to have a body made out of cheap spare parts. So I won’t be answering comments before the beginning of August, if then. But if there’s something you’d like to tell me, please do so. I’ll be interested in what you have to say. It’s just that you’ll have to guess at what I would have answered. (I’ll be pasting this answer to every comment I get for the next few weeks.)

[@shelleyottenbrite6616]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I'm delighted to have found your youtube -- I wish you well on your rotator cuff care. I know it's hard for a bright, active woman to "rest" but, honestly, in my experience teaching yoga, you simply must take as much time off as you can -- don't use your arm. Good luck int he recuperation!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@shelleyottenbrite6616 good advice

[@tracybank6641]

They come to my Oriol feeder to eat jam

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

You're doubly fortunate then, Tracy. We don't get the Baltimore Orioles nesting (though we put out jam for them). I'm jealous of people who do. But Orioles AND Catbirds? Sweet!

[@tracybank6641]

You can do this alot of effort and determination they will come

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

The males want to nest here, but they never manage to find a female and eventually they move on. But we do keep trying.

[@tracybank6641]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME keep at it always have jam and oranges out always alot of work don't give up

[@MsZeus49]

Dear friends, I found a Grey Cat Bird in distress! It got caught up on a piece of debris! I have brought it in to a safe place! What now? I have provided it a safe place… I have tried to release it twice! It cannot fly! I have given it a source of fresh water and seed! Even put some live meal worms to feed on! I truant your opinions on what I should do next! Please….. No trolls! ❤️🌻❤️

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Is it unlikely that the wing will heal on its own with time? I don't have advice, just options you've probably thought of yourself: take it to a bird rehab place if that's practical, euthanize it, adopt it. Did I leave anything out? Oh yes, turn it loose and let nature take its course. The only choice I like is the rehab, but that might not be available. I wish I could be of more use because being you right now sounds like it would be uncomfortable, worrisome. I'd like to know what you decide if telling me suits you.

[@chris-mm9co]

I shot one of these things before

[@marilynarmstrong5237]

Is this a point of pride for you? Did that catbird have his own weapon?