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Introducing Mr. & Mrs. C

Posted by Gayle Nastasi on

Creature Thoughts May/June 2026: The Gray Catbird

Photo credit: ©Marie Lehman, https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/gray-catbird

Let’s face it, if you don’t know who “Mr. & Mrs. C” are, you slept through the 70’s, and have never had access to television reruns.

A few months ago, my daughter, in public, on social media, referred to me as, “…a nerd and a weird bird lady.” I’ve never felt so proud.

I realize Creature Thoughts is a bit later than usual but, to be perfectly honest, in this day and time, it’s been hard to find something fun to write about. Naturally, it took a couple of delightful birds to bring this bird-nerd back into the light.

The Gray Catbird, Dumetella carolinensis, is a member of the family Mimidae, often referred to as mimic thrushes. Though they are not true thrushes, they are broadly related. The Northern Mockingbird is a close relative of the Catbird. Like Mockingbirds, the Catbird holds true to its family tendency to mimic sounds. They pick up the calls of other birds and sounds in their environment, combining them in an entertaining and lovely song. One way to tell the difference between a Mockingbird’s song and a Catbird’s, is that the Mockingbird will repeat each phrase several times before moving to the next, while the Catbird only sings each phrase once. Catbirds are also well known for their little mewing cry, which has sent more than one hiker searching through the bushes for an abandoned kitten. Not that I was fooled by it when I was about ten years old and came home with raspberry bush scratches on my arms and legs and a look of sheer embarrassment on my face after finally spotting that pretty gray bird in the tree. No, not at all.

We’ve always had Catbirds here. For the past several years, there has been one (at least I assumed it was the same bird) who would seek me out, from a distance, and watch me. He’d sit high in the trees and sing his beautiful, varied melody whenever he saw me. I began to talk to him, to thank him for his sunny entertainment. After a while, his song drew closer. One day, I looked out through the dining room window to see him singing from my porch railing. He returned to that spot frequently. Catbirds like to nest in heavy brushy areas, building their homes among thick branches and dense foliage. I assumed, since the woods across the street fit that bill beautifully, that was their chosen home.

Then, this past week, I was sitting in the living room, and heard an odd knocking sound. I followed it around the corner, to see Magic, my wonderful but occasionally (occasionally?) mischievous cat, staring at the den window, his tail slashing. As I came closer, a Catbird hopped from a close branch, fluttered against the window, and returned to the branch. The spruce (which was a miniature until the tree it was grafted onto decided to grow) outside that window is thick, brushy, partly dead, and full of tangled branches. It’s close to the window, so, though the bird was bumping against the glass, there is no danger of him actually injuring himself. He was simply tormenting the cat.

(Note: the cat probably asked for it. This is Magic we’re talking about, after all.)

The bird, to my delight, hung around. A few hours later, I returned to the scene, to find not one, but two Catbirds. Mister had brought along the Missus. Both were teasing the cat.

It is now three days later. This morning, the Catbirds are still here. Although I’m not certain, it looks like they’ve chosen that tree for a nest this year. It certainly fits the description of their preferred site.

We’ve decided to call them “Mr. & Mrs. C.” C is for “Catbird,” naturally, though the fact that my hubby is a total Happy Days fanatic plays into the choice. He gave the idea two thumbs up. “Eyyyyy.”

It would be very cool to be able to watch the Cs raise a brood of little mewlings. I’m hoping that old tree passes their nest test, and they stick around for the season.

Magic is, too. Enjoy this little video clip of the cat and the Catbirds. If you listen carefully, you can hear them mew.

Some fun Catbird information. Enjoy!

And a PS: Pardon the foggy featured image in shares and the sidebar. I am working on getting better pictures of Mr. & Mrs. C., but so far have only managed shots through the window with my cellphone or captures from video clips.