Episode 17: Gray Catbird – Voice of the Wild

Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis). A mimid, this slate-gray bird copies from its neighbors and sings a mishmash of the whole neighborhood’s songs all from one spot. The Gray catbird is a bit of a lurker, often sticking to the low brush and the back of thickets. Listen out for the meow-like call for which it is named! Do you want to learn more bird songs, frog calls, and insect noises? Join Voice of the Wild every Friday to explore a new wild voice. From time to time, we’ll also do a deep dive into wildlife science, news, and natural history. Voice of the Wild is brought to you by the University of Illinois Extension Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy program. Available on most podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscription links Here Subscribe to the Newsletter Listen online on our Homepage  The following Cornell Lab | Macaulay Library recordings were used in this episode: Gray Catbird Songs and Calls by Wil Hershberger (Song ML508753, Song ML508752, and Call ML508755)  Sources and more: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gray_Catbird https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/gray-catbird Sibley, David. Sibley Birds East: Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America. Second edition. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016. Print. Peterson, Roger Tory, and Virginia Marie Peterson. A Field Guide to the Birds: A Completely New Guide to All the Birds of Eastern and Central North America. Fourth edition, completely revised and enlarged. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1980. Print. Dobson, Colin et al. Field Guide to Hotspots and Birds in Illinois. Champaign-Urbana: Scissortail LLC, 2023. Print. Godfrey, Michael A, John Farrand, and Roger Tory Peterson. Videoguide to the Birds of North America. New York, N.Y: MasterVision, 1985. Film.