Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis

Gray Catbird has a partial preformative molt and absent to limited prealternate molts that are restricted to some body plumage at most. Although multiple characteristics can be used to determine age in summer and fall, many become less reliable by spring and some individuals may need to be considered M-FCU (AHY). Sex can generally be determined only by brood patch / cloacal protuberance during the breeding season.

Quick tips

• Examine the greater coverts - on FCF/FCU (HY/SY) birds, some to most of the innermost ones (occasionally all) are contrastingly gray and longer than the retained more brownish juvenile feathers, whereas on DCB/DCU (AHY/ASY) birds, the greater coverts and primary coverts are all uniformly gray.
• In fall, check the iris - on FCF (HY) birds it is grayish to reddish-brown, while on DCB (AHY) birds it is maroon; some FCU (SY) birds may still have a recognizably dull iris by spring, but generally this feature becomes less reliable over the course of winter.
• Check the upper mandible lining - on FCF/FCU (HY/SY) birds it is mostly pale, while on DCB/DCU (AHY/ASY) birds it is mostly black.
• Check the undertail coverts - many FCF (HY/SY) birds retain gray, loosely-textured juvenile feathers, but beware that some of them may have uniformly rusty undertail coverts like DCB/DCU (AHY/ASY) birds.
• Examine the tail - FCF/FCU (HY/SY) birds have uniformly narrow and tapered rectrices, or contrastingly fresh central rectrices, whereas DCB/DCU (AHY/ASY) individuals tend to have uniformly more broad and rounded rectrices.

Species account prepared by McGill Bird Observatory (2016). Last updated by Marcel Gahbauer (Mar 2022)