Dumetella carolinensis
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), also spelled grey catbird, is a medium-sized North American and Central American perching bird of the mimid family. It is the only member of the "catbird" genus Dumetella. Like the black catbird (Melanoptila glabrirostris), it is among the basal lineages of the Mimidae, probably a closer relative of the Caribbean thrasher and trembler assemblage than of the mockingbirds and Toxostoma thrashers. In some areas it is known as the slate-colored mockingbird.
The name Dumetella is based upon the Latin term dūmus ("thorny thicket"); it thus means approximately "small thornbush-dweller" or "small bird of the thornbushes". It refers to the species' habit of singing when hidden in undergrowth. The specific name carolinensis is Neo-Latin for "from the Carolinas".
The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1766 edition of Systema Naturae. His original name Muscicapa carolinensis reflected the belief, widespread at that time, that the gray catbird was some sort of Old World flycatcher (presumably due to its remarkably plain coloration, not similar to other mimids).
The genus name has a convoluted nomenclatorial history. The monotypic... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Zoo Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Toronto Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Fort Worth Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Catbird sighting in Everglades National Park on a given day, based on 8,229 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 10th most-seen of the 273 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–March and October–November
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Catbird in Everglades National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to July, the lowest months. Those are among Everglades National Park's driest months, with about 65 mm of rain a month against 240 mm in June.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Gray Catbird sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 53 parks where we can rate Gray Catbird sightings, Everglades National Park ranks 2nd at about 60%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Point Pelee National Park (Canada, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Mimidae
The closest relatives of the Gray Catbird that you can see in Everglades National Park (family Mimidae, Mockingbirds and Thrashers) are Northern Mockingbird (about 70%) and Brown Thrasher (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Gray Catbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Everglades National Park (8,229 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
