Catbird
Catbird, the common name of members of three families of unrelated birds. The only catbird found in North America is the gray (or northern) catbird. It is related to the thrasher and mockingbird. Its name comes from its sharp, catlike cry, uttered when the bird is angered or distressed. Its song, however, is melodious, and, like the mockingbird, it can mimic the songs of other birds. It is about nine inches (23 cm) long and colored slate gray, except for its black crown and tail. It nests in dense thickets and trees with close foliage, laying three to five greenish-blue eggs.
The gray catbird is Dumetella carolinensis of the family Mimidae. Catbirds of the family Ptilonorhynchidae are found in Australia and New Guinea; those of the family Timaliidae in Ethiopia.