Birding in the Boston suburbs on a humid September morning, the air thick with mist and the promise of rain, held a simple pleasure. With a few hours before my flight, a short walk near the hotel led to an unexpected encounter, not with a rare species, but with a sound – a familiar, yet often unseen, presence. Behind a screen of Virginia creeper, the distinctive “Cat Bird Sound” echoed, instantly recognizable as the call of the Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis). For anyone familiar with the region, especially in early fall, hearing a catbird is almost guaranteed. Finding one, however, is a different story. These birds are masters of concealment, preferring dense thickets and tangles, often making their presence known only by their unique vocalizations.
A Gray Catbird expertly camouflaged within dense foliage, showcasing their preference for hidden habitats. The image emphasizes the challenge of spotting these birds despite their common “cat bird sound.”
The phrase “in the catbird seat,” popularized by baseball broadcaster Red Barber, aptly describes the Gray Catbird’s behavior. These birds are observers, always seeming to have the upper hand, keenly aware of their surroundings. From their hidden perches within the undergrowth, they watch the world go by, often undetected. You might hear the characteristic “cat bird sound,” a meow-like call that gives them their name, without ever catching a glimpse of the bird itself. The sound itself can be puzzling, leading one to wonder, “Is that really a bird making that cat-like noise?”
For birders, however, this “cat bird sound” is a clear identifier. As Yishai Blum, ABA 2023 Young Birder of the Year, wrote in his essay “Superheroes,” birders possess remarkable abilities. We tune into subtle movements and sounds, recognizing the hidden world around us. This “superpower” allows us to understand the environment in a way that often goes unnoticed by others, even enabling a form of communication with animals.
Close-up view of Virginia creeper berries, a favored food source for Gray Catbirds. The image highlights the natural diet of catbirds, showcasing the berries they consume while emitting their signature “cat bird sound.”
Speaking to the unseen catbird, using a gentle “pishing” sound, prompted movement within the foliage. While the “cat bird sound” had already confirmed its identity, a fleeting glimpse revealed a slender, long-tailed, and subtly colored bird navigating the wet undergrowth. It was then observed feeding on Virginia creeper berries, a seemingly harmless snack for the bird. However, these berries contain oxalic acid and other toxins that are harmful, even potentially fatal, to humans. This highlights Blum’s point: birders possess a deeper understanding of the natural world, recognizing what is safe and unsafe, understanding animals in ways others might not. Birding “gadgets,” as Blum describes them, like binoculars and recording devices, further enhance these “superpowers,” allowing us to observe and document nature in detail.
Using recording equipment, the distinctive “cat bird sound” can be captured and analyzed. A sound spectrogram visually represents these calls, revealing patterns that are easily recognizable with practice. The catbird’s “meow,” evident in the recording around 0.6, 3.2, and 5.8 seconds, is characterized by thin, stacked curves on the spectrogram, giving it a nasal, whiny quality. The recording also reveals background noise, including light rain and distant traffic, but a closer look uncovers regular spikes in the background signal, matching a consistent sound in the 6kHz band.
This background sound leads to another fascinating discovery: the song of Phyllopalpus pulchellus, the handsome trig cricket. Even amidst the search for the “cat bird sound,” the soundscape expands to include other voices of nature. Exploring cricket song can be seen as a natural extension of birding, deepening our appreciation for the intricate symphony of the natural world.
Learning to identify cricket songs, much like learning bird calls such as the “cat bird sound,” opens up a new dimension of nature observation. Resources like the Songs of Insects website and Singing Insects of North America website offer valuable tools for learning cricket songs, complete with audio recordings and spectrograms. iNaturalist also provides a platform for exploring local insect sounds and connecting with experts. Just as recognizing the “cat bird sound” enhances birding experiences, learning cricket song enriches our understanding of the complete soundscape of our environment. The journey from identifying a simple “cat bird sound” can lead to a much broader and more immersive engagement with the natural world, revealing hidden voices and unseen wonders all around us.
