Gray Catbird
Gray Catbird has edged down: down 22% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Gray Catbird
A slate-gray mimic named for its cat-like mew, the Gray Catbird skulks in dense thickets and hedgerows, weaving other birds' songs into its own.
- Size
- 8.5–9.5 in long, about 1.3 oz (21–24 cm, 37 g)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects in summer and fruit and berries in late season.
- Range
- Recorded on 2,709 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 47 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Mimidae · Forest birds
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Notable Gray Catbird TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
No notable trend signals for Gray Catbird. See the full index history below.
Gray Catbird Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Gray Catbird is projected to fall about 16% by 2029 — from 4.8 in 2024 to a central estimate of 4.0 (95% range 2.9–5.1). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±18.9%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the Gray Catbird Is Detected
BBS routes recording Gray Catbird, sized by most recent count.
Gray Catbird Population Trend by State
Gray Catbird Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Gray Catbird Conservation Status
Least Concern
The IUCN Red List rates this species as Least Concern. Our route-weighted index shows it down about 22% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.