Gray Catbird by Julian Tapia

                                       The Gray Catbird

    An interesting bird to learn about is the gray catbird. Gray catbird translates to Dumetella in Latin. The word Dumetella means thorn bush-dweller or small bird of the thorns. Another thing to note is a gray catbird's physical makeup. Normally, a gray catbird has a long tail and a straight bill. These birds are around 8-9 inches in length ,and its wingspan measures around 8 to 11 inches. Additionally, Gray Catbirds have a black cap on top of their heads, a little brown under their tail, and a part of their tail is colored black. Next, a Gray catbird has quite a unique way of acting and some cool habits. Gray catbirds often jump from branch to branch in dense vegetation. Also, catbirds like to hide in shrubs, hence the name it was given in Latin, thorn bush-dweller. Male gray catbirds sing on top of small trees in order to claim territory and attract female catbirds. A common habit for gray catbirds is to perch with their tails down. Lastly, gray catbirds receive their name from the mew like sound it makes at various times. Most gray catbirds live east of the rocky mountains ,and then migrate southeastern of the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean during the winter. As said before, gray catbirds live in tangles of vines and dense shrubs. A possible way to find them in your backyard is to plant lots of wild berries and try to replicate crowed vegetation or bunches of leaves. Some places gray catbirds try to avoid are open woodlands and coniferous woodlands. If talking about food, gray catbirds will eat almost all insects during the summer and spring, and switch to eating different types of berries when fall and winter come around. Lastly, the gray catbird's status is of low concern due to the large area it covers when breeding season comes along.