Any of several passerine species (family Mimidae) named for their mewing calls, which they use in addition to song.
The North American catbird ( Dumetella carolinensis ) is 9 in. (23 cm) long and gray with a black cap. It is found in gardens and thickets. The black catbird ( Melanoptila glabrirostris ) is found in coastal Yucatán. Three species of the bowerbird family are also called catbirds; they are found in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands and do not build bowers but hold territories in the forest by loud singing.