Dumetella carolinensis
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Catbird sighting in La Amistad International Park (Panama) on a given day, based on 584 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 228th most-seen of the 657 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November to April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Catbird in La Amistad International Park (Panama) on a given day, against under 5% in May to October, the lowest months.
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.
30th of 53
Of the 53 parks where we can rate Gray Catbird sightings, La Amistad International Park (Panama) ranks 30th at about 10%. The best odds are in Point Pelee National Park (Canada, about 60%), Everglades National Park (United States, about 60%) and Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (Belize, about 50%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Gray Catbird is recorded against all the birds logged in La Amistad International Park (Panama) (584 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.
