Gray catbirds are medium-sized songbirds that breed across much of North America. They get their name from their distinctive cat-like meowing call. Gray catbirds are monogamous and form mating pairs during the breeding season. Here is a quick overview of how gray catbirds find mates and reproduce:
- Breeding Season: Gray catbirds breed between May and August across most of their range.
- Courtship: Males sing complex songs and perform display flights to attract females. Pairs preen each other’s feathers to strengthen the bond.
- Nest Building: The female builds the nest out of twigs, leaves, vines and bark. It is cup shaped and hidden in dense shrubs or small trees.
- Egg Laying: Females typically lay 3-5 eggs. The eggs are pale blue-green with brown spots.
- Incubation: The female incubates the eggs for 12-13 days while the male brings her food.
- Care of Young: Both parents feed the nestlings. The young fledge from the nest 11-13 days after hatching.
In the sections below, we’ll go into more detail on how gray catbirds form mating pairs, build nests, lay and incubate eggs, and raise their young.
Breeding Season
The breeding season for gray catbirds lasts from May through August across most of their range. They breed across the central and eastern United States and southern Canada east of the Rocky Mountains.
In more northern parts of their range, gray catbirds arrive at breeding grounds between mid-April and early May. They wait for warmer weather and an abundance of food before initiating nesting activities. Further south, some gray catbirds are year-round residents. Those that migrate arrive by late March and will start nesting soon after arrival.
Peak egg laying occurs between late May and mid-June. This coincides with the greatest availability of food resources like insects, fruits and berries to feed their hungry nestlings. Some gray catbirds in the southernmost parts of their range can raise 2-3 broods per season. Further north, they generally only raise one brood.
The breeding season ends in August. Gray catbirds will leave their breeding territories and may gather in mixed flocks prior to fall migration. The males stop holding territories and defending nest sites. Any late nests are usually abandoned as the catbirds shift their focus to fueling up for their southerly journeys.
Courtship
Gray catbirds engage in elaborate courtship displays to attract mates and form monogamous breeding pairs. The males arrive at the breeding areas first and establish territories. When the females arrive, the males use complex vocalizations and visual displays to show off. Their courtship behaviors include:
- Singing – Male gray catbirds sing a wide repertoire of songs and calls. Their long, variable songs are used to advertise their territory and attract potential mates. The familiar cat-like “mew” calls help the pair stay in contact.
- Display flights – The males perform a fluttering display flight within their territory to impress females. They fly up about 6 feet repeatedly fanning their tail and wings to showcase the white outer tail feathers.
- Preening – Once a pair bonding begins, the male and female perch close together and preen each other’s head and back feathers. This strengthens their bond.
- Food gifts – As the female builds the nest, the male will bring food gifts like insects to demonstrate his ability to provide for the young.
Females are attracted to the males with the fittest displays and most robust singing ability. However, they also assess the quality of the male’s territory and nesting resources. Females that accept a male will allow him to perch close by and eventually copulate.
Nest Building
Once a monogamous pair forms, the female gray catbird will begin constructing the nest while the male defends the territory. Gray catbird nests are open cup-shaped structures loosely woven together. They are typically built 1-10 feet above ground hidden in a dense shrub or small tree.
Some common nesting sites include:
- Fruit trees or orchards
- Thorny thickets
- Dogwood, hawthorn or rose bushes
- Tangled vines
- Conifer saplings
The female catbird chooses the exact nest location and does most of the construction work. She binds together an inner and outer layer using different materials:
Inner layer:
- Fine twigs
- Grass stems
- Thin bark strips
- Vine tendrils
Outer layer:
- Coarser twigs
- Leaves
- Pine needles
She weaves the materials together with spider silk and fibrous plant material. The nest typically takes 3-6 days to construct and measures 5-7 inches across with a 2-3 inch inner cup. The male may bring some material but does not participate significantly in nest building.
Egg Laying
Once the nest is complete, the female gray catbird lays a clutch of 3-5 eggs. One egg is laid per day in the early morning. The eggs are oval shaped with a pale blue-green color and brown blotches.
On average, gray catbird eggs measure about 27 mm x 20 mm (1 inch x 0.8 inches). The female sits in the nest each morning and uses her body heat to warm the eggs briefly before laying. This ensures proper embryo development.
Some key facts about gray catbird egg laying:
- Clutch size: Usually 3-5 eggs
- Color: Pale blue-green with brown spots
- Dimensions: ~27 mm x 20 mm
- Laying rate: One per morning until clutch complete
- Incubation start: After last egg laid
The female does not start full incubation until the last egg is laid. This synchronizes the hatching time so all the nestlings are roughly the same size and age. The male continues to defend the territory and bring food as the female incubates.
Incubation
The female gray catbird incubates the eggs for 12-13 days. She develops a brood patch – a bare area of skin on her belly used to transfer warmth to the eggs. The male occasionally relieves the female at the nest so she can take short breaks to feed and preen. However, the female does the vast majority of incubating.
Some key facts about gray catbird incubation:
- Performed by: Female (male helps occasionally)
- Duration: 12-13 days
- Temperature: About 98°F in nest
- Turning: Eggs turned several times per day
- Brood patch: Female develops this bare skin patch to incubate
The elevated temperature and high humidity within the nest maintains the embryos’ development. The female frequently turns the eggs during incubation to prevent sticking to the shell membranes. Towards the end of incubation, vocalizations can be heard from within the eggs shortly before hatching.
Care of Nestlings
The gray catbird nestlings hatch out nearly naked and blind after a 12-13 day incubation. They rely completely on their parents for warmth, protection, and deliveries of food. Both the male and female work together to raise the brood.
Feeding:
The nestlings are fed insects like caterpillars along with occasional fruits and seeds. The parents deliver food to the nest around every 5-15 minutes from dawn to dusk! They swallow the insects first to soften them up before regurgitating the food into the nestlings’ mouths.
As the nestlings grow, their appetites become voracious. The parents have to work tirelessly to deliver enough nutrition.
Protection:
The parents are very defensive of the nest and will hiss, dive-bomb, or mob potential predators. However, many nests are still lost to predators like snakes, crows, squirrels, and cats. The loud begging calls of the nestlings often attract unwanted attention.
Growth:
The helpless nestlings grow rapidly thanks to the constant influx of food. Their eyes open around 6 days old. Dark juvenile plumage starts replacing their down around 9 days old. By 11-13 days, their wings are developed enough for their first flight.
Fledging:
The young fledge from the nest at 11-13 days old, but cannot fly far at first. They remain dependent on the parents for another 2-3 weeks. The male takes primary responsibility for feeding the fledglings as the female often begins a second brood. Juveniles reach independence by late summer.
Conclusion
In summary, gray catbird’s complex mating rituals lead to monogamous breeding pairs. The female builds the nest in dense shrubs or trees with the male defending the territory. After a clutch of 3-5 eggs, the female incubates them for 12-13 days until hatching. Both parents work cooperatively to feed the nestlings which fledge quickly. The whole breeding cycle is timed to make maximum use of seasonal resources. Though individual catbirds often don’t live long, their prolific breeding ensures healthy populations across their range.