any of several North American songbirds of the family Mimidae (mockingbirds), esp Dumetella carolinensis, whose call resembles the mewing of a cat
2.
any of several Australian bowerbirds of the genera Ailuroedus and Scenopoeetes, having a catlike call
catbird in American English
(ˈkætˌbɜrd)
US
noun
a slate-gray North American passerine bird (Dumetella carolinensis) with a black crown and tail: it makes a mewing sound like that of a cat and is in the same family (Mimidae) asthe mockingbirds and thrashers
More idioms containing
catbird
in the catbird seat
Examples of 'catbird' in a sentence
catbird
A tree sparrow and a catbird came to check out the menu and were treated to half a biscuit that somebody hadn't been able to find room for.