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.

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