Bird field guide · Mockingbirds and Thrashers

Photographing the Gray Catbird

How to photograph the Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis): the right lens for its size, shutter speeds for perched and moving animals, and when it's most often seen (May).

20–30 cm1/2500–1/3200 s
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
Photo: © kirk gardner, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by kirk gardner via iNaturalist
20–30 cm
Typical length (family range)
1/800 s
Shutter: perched / still
1/2500–1/3200 s
Shutter: action / flight
f/5.6–f/7.1
Aperture
101,061
Research-grade sightings in N. America
ModeManual + Auto ISOLock shutter & aperture, let ISO float
Shutter (still)1/800 s
Shutter (action)1/2500–1/3200 s
Aperturef/5.6–f/7.1
FocusAF-C + subject/eye detectionBird-eye AF with continuous focus (AF-C/AI Servo); fill at least a third of the frame.
DriveHigh-speed burst
Lens400–600 mmFull-frame equivalent

Focal length needed to frame it#

For a subject about 25 cm long filling a third or half of the frame width horizontally.

Distance⅓ of frame (FF)½ of frame (FF)⅓ of frame (APS-C)⅓ of frame (MFT)
5 m (16 ft)227 mm336 mm151 mm113 mm
10 m (33 ft)454 mm672 mm302 mm227 mm
15 m (49 ft)680 mm1,007 mm454 mm340 mm
20 m (66 ft)907 mm1,343 mm605 mm454 mm
30 m (98 ft)1,361 mm2,015 mm907 mm680 mm
50 m (164 ft)2,268 mm3,358 mm1,512 mm1,134 mm

When to find it#

Jan: 2% Jan Feb: 2% Feb Mar: 2% Mar Apr: 9% Apr May: 32% May Jun: 17% Jun Jul: 13% Jul Aug: 8% Aug Sep: 7% Sep Oct: 4% Oct Nov: 2% Nov Dec: 2% Dec
Share of iNaturalist observations by month across North America. Peak months: May.

About the Gray Catbird#

The gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), also spelled grey catbird, is a medium-sized North American and Central American perching bird of the mimid family. It is the only member of the "catbird" genus Dumetella. Like the black catbird (Melanoptila glabrirostris), it is among the basal lineages of the Mimidae, probably a closer relative of the Caribbean thrasher and trembler assemblage than of the mockingbirds and Toxostoma thrashers.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia via iNaturalist (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Field-craft tips#

  • Singing males claim conspicuous perches.
  • Bird-eye AF with continuous focus (AF-C/AI Servo); fill at least a third of the frame.
  • Sightings peak in May, which is when you'll have the most chances.

Ethics#

  • The welfare of the animal comes first: if it changes its behaviour because of you, you are too close.
  • Stay on trails, respect closures around nests, leks, dens and haul-outs.
  • Avoid playback and baiting in sensitive seasons; never bait predators.
  • Don't share precise locations of rare, nesting or roosting animals publicly.

More Mockingbirds and Thrashers#

Northern Mockingbird Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos Brown Thrasher Brown ThrasherToxostoma rufum Curve-billed Thrasher Curve-billed ThrasherToxostoma curvirostre California Thrasher California ThrasherToxostoma redivivum Tropical Mockingbird Tropical MockingbirdMimus gilvus

Frequently asked questions#

What lens do I need to photograph a Gray Catbird?

At about 25 cm long, a gray catbird fills a third of a full-frame image at 10 m with roughly 454 mm, or at 20 m with 907 mm.

What shutter speed should I use for a Gray Catbird?

1/800 s when it's still; 1/2500–1/3200 s for action.

When is the best time to photograph a Gray Catbird?

Observations in North America peak in May. Early morning and late afternoon give the best light and activity.

Sources & licences#

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources