Gray Catbird

Description:

A slate gray bird with a black cap and rusty red feathers under the tail. They are related to the mockingbirds and thrashers, and in addition to their signature call that sounds like a cat mew, they copy the sounds of other birds and string them together to make their own song.

Habitat:

Very abundant this time of year in Florida. I have seen and heard them in the dense thickets lining forests, streams, marshes and fields and fences. While they stay close to the ground and will retreat to the thickets when alarmed, they are also curious birds and seem to tolerate people at close proximity. This catbird was a couple feet from us in the parking lot to Corkscrew Swamp, Immokalee, Florida.

Notes:

From what bird.com: Their calls include the catlike meow call that gives them their name. When feeding on the ground, they toss leaves aside with their bills rather than scratching with their feet. A group of catbirds are collectively known as a "mewing" and a "seat" of catbirds.