jay@umd5.UUCP (09/15/85)
Earlier this afternoon I was an observer to what I thought was a rather strange conversation between my cat and a catbird. The bird was shrieking at a second cat at the base of the tree on which he was sitting and my cat was in the second story window watching the goings on. All of a sudden, I heard this low high-pitched squeal, similar to a squirrel. Of course it turned out to be my cat but the funny thing is he kept changing the tone of his call to further approximate that of the catbird. The bird would call and my cat would answer. This call and response went on for about ten minutes when the catbird, tiring of it all, flew off into sunset. Is this odd behavior for a cat and/or a catbird? Does anyone know how the catbird got its name? -- Jay Elvove ..!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!umd5!jay c/o Systems, Computer Science Center, U. of MD.
mm@vaxine.UUCP (Mark Mudgett) (09/17/85)
> The bird would call > and my cat would answer. This call and response went on for about ten > minutes when the catbird, tiring of it all, flew off into sunset. > Is this odd behavior for a cat and/or a catbird? Does anyone know how > the catbird got its name? > Jay Elvove ..!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!umd5!jay The Catbird is named for the cat-like sounds it makes. It is a close relative of the Mockingbird (both are mimic thrushes), and shares some of the Mocking- bird's talent for mimicry. Even if you can't see them, you can distinguish a Catbird from a Mockingbird by ear. The Mockingbird tends to sing several (7 -- 12) syllables of a bird call, then several syllables of another bird, then several of another bird. The Catbird tends to sing a few (2 -- 3) syllables of a bird, then a cat, then another bird, then a cat, etc. The Mockingbird's songs can often be identified as to the bird being imitated (I knew one Mockingbird that often perched on the roof above my bedroom and learned the call of my pet Monk Parrot!), where the Catbird often uses calls that cannot be readily identified with any bird. Catbirds are known to mimic, but I have never known of a cat to mimic a bird. Perhaps the cat was doing the call, and the Catbird was doing the response. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ _TT /| |~ Mark C. Mudgett >====+++===< | O| |~ uucp: ...!decvax!encore!vaxine!mm {_|||_} \| O| 617-667-7900x2394 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ All persons, living and dead, are purely coincidental; and should not be construed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------
mwf@mtgzz.UUCP (m.w.field) (09/20/85)
The catbird got its name because of the mewing call it often makes which sounds just like a cat. Mike.