About Dumetella carolinensis (Linnaeus, 1766)
Adults of Dumetella carolinensis, the gray catbird, weigh between 23.2 and 56.5 g (0.8 to 2.0 oz), with an average weight of 35–40 g (1.2–1.4 oz). They measure 20.5 to 24 cm (8.1 to 9.4 in) in total length, and have a wingspan of 22 to 30 cm (8.7 to 11.8 in). For standard body measurements, the wing chord ranges from 8.4 to 9.8 cm (3.3 to 3.9 in), the tail measures 7.2 to 10.3 cm (2.8 to 4.1 in), the culmen is 1.5 to 1.8 cm (0.6 to 0.7 in), and the tarsus is 2.7 to 2.9 cm (1.1 to 1.1 in).
Almost the entire body of gray catbirds is solid plain lead gray. The crown of the head is a darker shade than the rest of the body. Their undertail coverts are rust-colored, while the flight feathers (remiges) and tail feathers (rectrices) are black, with some individuals showing white borders on these feathers. The slender bill, eyes, legs, and feet are also blackish. Males and females cannot be told apart by their external appearance; differing behaviors during the breeding season are usually the only clue an observer has to tell them apart. Juveniles have even plainer coloration than adults, with buffy undertail coverts.
Gray catbirds are native to most of temperate North America that lies east of the Rocky Mountains. They are migratory, and travel to the southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean for the winter. Except for occasional vagrant individuals, they always remain east of the American Cordillera. They are extremely rare vagrants to western Europe. Normally, gray catbirds arrive on their breeding grounds by May, and most leave for their wintering grounds in September or October. This species appears to be increasingly extending how long it stays in its summer range, with some individuals now remaining until mid-winter as far north as Ohio. Spring migration occurs between March and May, and fall migration occurs between late August and November.
Gray catbirds tend to avoid dense, unbroken woodlands, and do not live in coniferous pine woodland. They prefer habitats with dense vegetative cover, especially when thorny vegetation is present. Scrublands, woodland edges, overgrown farmland, and abandoned orchards are generally among their preferred locations. In Bermuda, their preferred habitats are scrub and myrtle swamp. During the winter, gray catbirds favor berry-rich thickets, especially those located close to water sources.
