Fun Facts About Catbirds

  • Grey CatbirdGrey Catbirds love water and could visit moving water features in your yard. They can be attracted to feeders with mealworms and fruit. Catbirds, like bluebirds, robins and mockingbirds, enjoy raisins and currants that have been soaked in water to plump them up.
  • Their call sounds like a cat mewing.
  • Often heard or seen alone in thickets.
  • Catbirds are often heard before they are seen. They are secretive birds that dart into the bushes when approached. They are also very inquisitive and can sometimes be called back out of the bushes to check out a pishing sound or a sound like kissing the back of your hand.
  • Catbirds are gray with a dark cap on their head and a dark eye. Be sure to look for the rusty under-tail color that is not often seen.
  • The catbird’s resting heart rate ranges from 307-427 beats per minute. The average person’s heart rate is 60-100 beats per minute.
  • Average life span is 4-10 years.
  • Both sexes help build the nest but construction is mainly by the female over five to six days. Breeding is May through August with an average clutch of four eggs. The female incubates the eggs and will continue to sit on the nest during hatching.