Happy Memorial Day everyone!  If I could have one wish for you on this day, it would be that you are able to spend some quiet time sitting outside on a beautiful morning in a place filled with birds. Perhaps that means you are sitting in the backyard of a house out on the Cape. Perhaps that means that you are waking up to spend the morning in one of the campsites of our beautiful state parks. Or perhaps you will spend the morning in your own back yard, or that of friends or family.

For me, it will be the very last option on that list.

However, my story today will focus on events that unfolded on a beautiful morning a couple of weeks ago. I was visiting my parents and enjoying the antics of the orioles in their yard (see last week’s column for full details), but the orioles weren’t the only birds that were putting on a show. There were also rose-breasted grosbeaks, ruby-throated hummingbirds and three different species of woodpeckers that were also on full display that morning. At one point, I allowed myself to simply sit in silence and I was able to pick up on an unobtrusive bird that was putting on a show in the background.

The bird I am speaking of is the gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis).

It may not be exactly fair to describe the catbird as unobtrusive because the males are absolutely exquisite songsters. Members of the mimic thrush family, catbirds are close relatives to the brown thrasher and the northern mockingbird. Like their cousins, catbirds are prolific in the variety of their vocalizations, but unlike the other two species catbirds have a distinctive “squeakiness” to their songs. Furthermore, they have an unmistakable call note that bears a superficial resemblance to the “mew” of a domestic cat.

The reason that I used the word “unobtrusive” is because catbirds have a dark gray plumage that can be diabolically difficult to see. They blend in with shadows and they can virtually disappear into the undergrowth that they have such a high affinity for. These birds are Olympic-class “skulkers” that can move around without being seen. But then, every once in a while, the birds will break character and come out into the open.

 It was one of these moments that I observed and it left me even more impressed with (and in love with) this wonderful little animal.

Two pairs of adults, oddly calm in each other’s presence, were focused on one another and not so concerned with the nearby pair. At one point, a female was foraging for food while her sweetheart was trailing behind her doing a stylized little dance and making a noise that I have never heard before and cannot adequately describe to you now. Both male and female catbirds wear the same plumage, so only behavior can really divulge the identity of each member of a pair. Any man who has ever attempted to impress a woman will instantly be able to see this sort of behavior in a bird.

Some things are universal among animals.

Compared to most other species of birds, catbirds have relatively long tails. They also have an appealing patch of wine-red feathers just under their tails in the area my beautiful wife Susan would identify as their “tushy.” While trying to impress his beloved, the male did a little swish-and-flourish routine as he hopped along behind her and uttered his charming little call. I didn’t observe this next behavior, but males will sometimes strut around with raised tails to give the ladies a glimpse of those spectacular hineys. Ladies, imagine a shirtless Chris Hemsworth in tight pants slowly walking away from the camera while looking back over his shoulder and you’ve got an idea of what a male catbird is going for.

I’ll pause here to give you a moment.

While perhaps not quite so resplendent as an adult rooster, the little male catbird still put on an impressive show of song and choreography. Then, in a magical moment that I missed by about 1 second, the pair flew up onto a metal garden fence and sat next to one another while they preened their feathers. I managed to capture a photo of the male as he looked straight back at me with obvious curiosity. 

Missed it by that much.

Together, this pair of birds will raise a family of baby catbirds as the summer progresses. Somewhere in the male’s territory, the female will select a spot where a branch sticks out from the trunk of a bush or a small tree in an area of dense cover. The females do all of the work of nest-building, but the males will offer help by retrieving nesting materials. The bark of wild grapevines is a particular favorite. Female catbirds need things to be “just so” and the males can only sit back and offer encouragement. Gentlemen, does that sound at all familiar?

Now, I shall pause to give you another moment — serenity now. 

After five or six days of nest-building, the female will lay four to five eggs (sometimes as many as six) over a period of four to five days (basically, one egg per day) and she alone will incubate the eggs for the next 12 to 13 days. The male will keep busy defending the territory that will be crucial for feeding the chicks once they hatch. He will also bring food to the nest for the female and perhaps even guard the nest when she takes a break to eat, drink and bathe.

Once the eggs hatch, the chicks will need another 10 days of constant care and feeding before they are able to fledge.

This is where the male really earns his keep because the quality of the territory that he has secured will determine the availability of food for the chicks. Both parents will feed the nestlings and the male will look after the fledglings while they get the hang of things in the catbird world. Meanwhile, the female will find another place to build a second nest in an attempt to raise two broods of chicks in a single summer. Thus, a successful pair will be able to raise eight to 12 offspring in a year. 

So, if the weather is nice and you haven’t gone outside yet, then give it a try.

Leave the cell phone inside and let your quiet mind enjoy the quiet around you. Sip on a cup of tea, or coffee while you scan your surroundings and, if you are lucky, then you might see a gray catbird moving along the edge of the yard. Chances are it is a male, but he will probably have a female who is hiding on her nest somewhere nearby and waiting to catch another glimpse of her sweetheart.

Bill Danielson has been a professional writer and nature photographer for 21 years. He has worked for the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service and Massachusetts State Parks and currently teaches high school biology and physics. Visit speakingofnature.com for more information, or go to Speaking of Nature on Facebook.

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