Gray Catbird

More info for the terms: cover, cover type, forest, presence, shrub, swale

The gray catbird occurs in a wide variety of plant communities.
Physiognomy rather than cover type appears to be the dominant factor in
habitat preference; forest edge is preferred to hedgerows in the open
[18].  Riparian areas are heavily favored [6].  In the Southeast, the
heaviest breeding densities occur in sapling-poletimber stages of elm
(Ulmus spp.)-ash (Fraxinus spp.)-cottonwood (Populus spp.) types, and
the highest winter densities occur in shrub-seedling stages of maritime
live oak (Quercus virginiana) [11].  Breininger [4] reported the
presence of wintering gray catbirds in Florida swale marshes.  In New
England, the gray catbird is rare at high elevations [6].  In western
North Dakota, gray catbirds forage and nest in cottonwood types [12].
In Saskatchewan, gray catbirds were observed in aspen (Populus spp.)
with shrub understory [13].  In Oregon, primary gray catbird foraging
use occurs in tall sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)/bunchgrass, squaw apple
(Peraphyllum ramosissimum)/bunchgrass, curlleaf mountain-mahogany
(Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius)/bunchgrass, curlleaf
mountain-mahogany/pinegrass (Calamagrostis rubescens) and other brush
communities.  Primary reproductive use occurs in quaking aspen (Populus
tremuloides)/grass, quaking aspen/mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia
tridentata ssp. vaseyana)/bunchgrass, and riparian areas [16].

Plant species commonly used by gray catbirds include multiflora rose
(Rosa multiflora), barberries (Berberis spp.), lilacs (Syringa spp.),
mockorange (Philadelphus spp.), osage-orange (Maclura pomifera), and
various conifers [7,25].

gray catbird
grey catbird
common catbird
northern catbird

More info for the terms: shrubs, vines

The gray catbird uses dense, shrubby vegetation for all activities.
Nests are usually constructed about 5 feet (1.5 m) [6] above the ground,
with a range of 3 to 10 feet (1-3 m) above the ground in dense, leafy
shrubs or vines [7].  In Iowa riparian habitat, 72 out of 97 nests were
constructed in shrubs, 11 were found in deciduous saplings, and 14 in
deciduous trees [21].

The gray catbird breeds from southern British Columbia, southern
Ontario, and Nova Scotia south to central New Mexico and northern
Florida; west to northern and south-central Washington, south-central
and eastern Oregon, north-central Utah, and central and northeastern
Arizona.  Its winter range extends from north-central and eastern Texas,
the central portions of the Gulf States, and Atlantic coastal lowlands
from Long Island south to the Gulf-Caribbean slope of Central America [7].

More info for the term: shrubs

The gray catbird is primarily a leaf-gleaner [36].  About half of
the diet is insects; the fleshy fruits of woody shrubs constitute most
of the remainder of the diet [7,15].

Animal foods include ants, beetles, crickets and grasshoppers, bugs,
cankerworms and other smooth caterpillars, caterpillars of gypsy moth
and brown-tailed moth, aphids, miscellaneous other insects, and spiders
[15,25].

Plant foods (fruit) include blackberries (Rubus spp.), cherries (Prunus
spp.) including chokecherry (P. virginiana), hollies (Ilex spp.),
bayberries (Myrica spp.), greenbriers (Smilax spp.), poison-ivy
(Toxicodendron spp.), buckthorns (Rhamnus spp.), tatarian honeysuckle
(Lonicera tatarica), Missouri gooseberry (Ribes missouriense), American
elder (Sambucus canadensis), blueberries (Vaccinium spp.), baneberry
(Actaea rubra), dogwoods (Cornus spp.), and buffaloberries (Shepherdia
spp.) [14,15,17,29,36,37].

More info for the terms: cover, density, fire exclusion, litter, moderate-severity fire, shrub, shrubs, vines

In Florida, gray catbirds preferred unburned areas to recently burned
coastal scrub and slash pine (Pinus elliottii) flatwoods.  Gray catbird
density increased with postfire age, from 0.1 per acre (0.25/ha) on
1-year plots to 0.6 per acre (1.5/ha) on 10-year (or older) plots [5].
Also in Florida, a 20-year-old slash pine stand was prescribed burned
with a moderate-severity fire in December, 1967.  Ground cover and dead
grass litter were almost entirely consumed, most shrubs were defoliated
and burned back, and small pines were scorched; the foliage of medium
and large-sized trees was scarcely touched.  In the first 5 postfire
months, there were slightly more gray catbirds in the unburned area than
in the burned area.  Most of the gray catbirds observed in both burned
and unburned areas were within 100 feet (30 m) of the burned/unburned
boundary [8].

In general, fires that result in an increase in shrubby vegetation and
vines will increase available habitat for gray catbirds.  Frequent fire
that reduces the shrub layer will decrease available habitat for gray
catbirds.  Where fire exclusion leads to a decrease in patchiness, edge,
or shrubby vegetation, gray catbird habitat may decline.

More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

More info for the term: swamp

    16  Aspen
    17  Pin cherry
    18  Paper birch
    19  Gray birch - red maple
    24  Hemlock - yellow birch
    25  Sugar maple - beech - yellow birch
    26  Sugar maple - basswood
    27  Sugar maple
    28  Black cherry - maple
    39  Black ash - American elm - red maple
    45  Pitch pine
    60  Beech - sugar maple
    61  River birch - sycamore
    62  Silver maple - American elm
    63  Cottonwood
    65  Pin oak - sweetgum
    69  Sand pine
    70  Longleaf pine
    73  Southern redcedar
    75  Shortleaf pine
    79  Virginia pine
    80  Loblolly pine - shortleaf pine
    81  Loblolly pine
    83  Longleaf pine - slash pine
    84  Slash pine
    87  Sweetgum - yellow-poplar
    88  Willow oak - water oak - diamondleaf oak
    89  Live oak
    91  Swamp chestnut oak - cherrybark oak
    92  Sweetgum - willow oak
    93  Sugarberry - American elm - green ash
    94  Sycamore - sweetgum - American elm
    95  Black willow
    96  Overcup oak - water hickory
    97  Atlantic white-cedar
    98  Pond pine
   105  Tropical hardwoods
   108  Red maple
   109  Hawthorn
   105  Tropical hardwoods
   106  Mangrove
   111  South Florida slash pine
   215  Western white pine
   218  Lodgepole pine
   238  Western juniper

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This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

FRES10 White-red-jack pine
FRES11 Spruce-fir
FRES12 Longleaf-slash pine
FRES13 Loblolly-shortleaf pine
FRES14 Oak-pine
FRES15 Oak-hickory
FRES16 Oak-gum-cypress
FRES17 Elm-ash-cottonwood
FRES18 Maple-beech-birch
FRES19 Aspen-birch
FRES20 Douglas-fir
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES22 Western white pine
FRES26 Lodgepole pine
FRES29 Sagebrush

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This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the terms: bog, forest, woodland

   K008  Lodgepole pine - subalpine forest
   K013  Cedar - hemlock - pine forest
   K022  Great Basin pine forest
   K024  Juniper steppe woodland
   K032  Transition between K031 and K037
   K037  Mountain-mahogany - oak scrub
   K038  Great Basin sagebrush
   K039  Blackbrush
   K040  Saltbush - greasewood
   K094  Conifer bog
   K095  Great Lakes pine forest
   K098  Northern floodplain forest
   K099  Maple - basswood forest
   K100  Oak - hickory forest
   K101  Elm - ash forest
   K102  Beech - maple forest
   K103  Mixed mesophytic forest
   K104  Appalachian oak forest
   K105  Mangrove
   K106  Northern hardwoods
   K110  Northeastern oak - pine forest
   K111  Oak - hickory - pine forest
   K112  Southern mixed forest
   K113  Southern floodplain forest
   K114  Pocosin
   K115  Sand pine scrub
   K116  Subtropical pine forest

More info for the terms: density, shrub

Gray catbirds were rated as tolerant of habitat alteration; they do not
require a specific habitat and are able to make use of
less-highly-preferred habitat, albeit at lower densities [21].

In Pennsylvania, gray catbirds were present in clearcut stands of aspens
and oak-pine.  They were observed to use the edges of stands more often
than interiors (defined as more than 83 feet [25 m] from the interface),
and preferred older stands [30].  Nongame bird densities were censused
in bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata)-quaking aspen-pitch pine
(Pinus rigida), and in bear oak (Quercus ilicifolia)-dwarf chinkapin oak
(Q. prinoides)/blueberry stands that were uncut, 50 percent clearcut,
or 75 percent clearcut.  Length of time since treatment was 2, 6, or 12
years.  Gray catbirds were encountered more often than expected in 75
percent clearcut aspen stands and were not encountered in uncut stands
of either aspens or oaks.  Within the 50 percent clearcut stands, gray
catbirds were more common in 12-year-old stands of both aspens and
oak-pine than in 2-year-old stands [32].

Stauffer and Best [21] made the following predictions about the effect of
habitat alteration on gray catbird density:

1) conversion of woody vegetation to hayfield or pasture will eliminate
     gray catbird
2) reduction of woody vegetation to narrow strips along streams will
     reduce gray catbird density
3) partial removal of the canopy will increase gray catbird density
4) thinning of shrub and sapling layers will reduce gray catbird density.

The authors were unable to make a prediction for the effect of partial canopy
removal with shrub thinning, since the separate treatments have opposite
effects [21].

Tall structures create a hazard to migrating gray catbirds because most
migration occurs at night [25].  Structures listed as hazards include
lighthouses and the Washington Monument [2].

Nest Parasitism:  Gray catbirds are infrequent hosts to brown-headed
cowbirds.  Gray catbirds will eject eggs of other species that are found
in the nest [25].  However, if a naive gray catbird is exposed to a
brown-headed cowbird egg before her own eggs are laid, she will "learn"
the cowbird egg, eject her own eggs, and rear the cowbird chick [38].

AL
AZ
AR
CO
CT
DE
FL
GA
ID
IL

IN
IA
KS
KY
LA
ME
MD
MA
MI
MN

MS
MO
MT
NE
NH
NJ
NM
NY
NC
ND

OH
OK
OR
PA
RI
SC
TN
TX
UT
VT

VA
WA
WV
WI
WY

BC
NS
SK

Snakes are major predators on gray catbird nestlings, as are rats,
foxes, and domestic cats.  Other nest molesters include common grackle
(Quiscalus quiscula), brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum), and northern
cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis).  Adult catbirds are taken by northern
harrier (Circus cyaneus), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), and
long-eared owl (Asio otus) [2].  Toland [26] listed a gray catbird as a
nesting season prey item for a red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).

More info for the terms: density, forest, marsh, shrub, shrubs, swamp, tree, vines, woodland

The gray catbird uses dense thickets of shrubby edge habitat for both
nesting and foraging.  Any area of dense shrubs, briars, or vines along
woodland borders appears to be suitable [7].  The habitat niche breadth
is fairly large, meaning that gray catbirds use a wide variety of
foliage densities and shrub layers.  The gray catbird is also found in
dry marsh edges, roadside shrubs, abandoned fields, and fencerows [7].

Sample gray catbird densities are as follows:  In New York, one nest per
8 acres (3.2 ha) (80 pairs per square mile [31/sq km]) was reported for
mixed shrub-small tree stages in beech (Fagus spp.)-maple (Acer
spp.)-hemlock (Tsuga spp.) forest [6].  In North Dakota, 40 pairs per
square mile (15 per sq km) were observed in favorable habitat [22], and
in Maryland, 80 males were counted for 100 acres (40 ha) in shrub swamp
habitat [23].  In Iowa, there was a positive relationship between gray
catbird density and sapling richness, tree size, and tree patchiness,
and a negative relationship with tree density [21].

More info on this topic.

This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

    5  Columbia Plateau
    6  Upper Basin and Range
    8  Northern Rocky Mountains
    9  Middle Rocky Mountains
   10  Wyoming Basin
   11  Southern Rocky Mountains
   12  Colorado Plateau
   13  Rocky Mountain Piedmont
   14  Great Plains
   15  Black Hills Uplift
   16  Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands

The currently accepted scientific name of gray catbird is Dumetella
carolinensis (L.). It is a member of the mimic-thrush family (Mimidae).
There are no accepted subspecies [7,34].

More info for the term: constancy

Breeding Season:  The gray catbird breeds from late April to mid-August,
with the peak season occurring from mid-May to mid-June [11].  The nest
is a ragged mass of sticks, weed stems, grasses, leaves, and twigs.  The
cup may be lined with pine needles, rootlets, fine shreds of bark, and
horsehair [25].  In New York, eggs were laid from May 5 to June 13 [6].
In Ontario, egg dates ranged from May 2 to August 18 [19].  The gray
catbird raises two or more consecutive broods in one season [6].

Clutch Size:  The average clutch size is four, but ranges from three to
five eggs [11].

Development:  Eggs are incubated for 12 to 15 days [2,6].  The female is
usually the sole incubating parent and is fed by the male [2].  The
young usually remain in the nest for 11 days; the nestling stage ranges
from 9 to 15 days.  The gray catbird is sexually mature at 1 year [6].

Migration:  The southward migration of gray catbird begins early in the
fall, soon after the young leave the nest [15].  During one fall study
period as many as 725 gray catbirds were reported at Dauphin Island,
Alabama in a single day [39].  In the spring, males arrive on nesting
grounds prior to the females [25].  Gray catbirds were the second most
frequently captured species in the spring in a study area on the Fort
Morgan Peninsula, Alabama [39].  Banded birds usually return to the
place of banding.  There is variation in the constancy of mating; some
catbird pairs raise consecutive broods in the same season and remain
paired in subsequent seasons.  Other pairs raise one brood and then find
new mates, although the male appears to remain constant to a territory
[2].

Maximum longevity is 10 years [25].  Average longevity is around 2.5
years [2].

More info for the terms: fire regime, prescribed fire

In central Pennsylvania management of even-aged aspen stands for ruffed
grouse (Bonasa umbellus) is also suitable for gray catbirds.  Management
for ruffed grouse includes the creation of brushy, edge conditions that
are favored by gray catbirds.  This management often includes the use of
prescribed fire [31].


FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find FIRE REGIMES".