Gray Catbird

by AnnaJo Vahle

Original - Not For Sale

Price

Not Specified

Dimensions

20.000 x 16.000 inches

Title

Gray Catbird

Artist

AnnaJo Vahle

Medium

Painting - Acrylic On Canvas

Description

While visiting McKee Botanical Garden in Vero Beach, Florida, we saw this bird atop a waterfall. He didn't seem overly afraid. He had lots of spunk and personality as he hopped around. Although, he was primarily plain gray in color, he had bright red cheeky feathers below his tail. He seemed to be about to take a bath in a little pool at the top of the waterfall. I loved the dappled light of the background. The Gray Catbird is a common, medium-size songbird of Eastern gardens and thickets. This seemingly drab bird has boatloads of attitude, a quirky personality that makes it a perennial favorite. Most catbirds winter in the southern United States or the tropics. A few linger far to the north if they have access to a reliable source of berries or a well-stocked bird feeder.

The catbird belongs to the same family as the mockingbirds and thrashers. As we might expect, its voice is interesting. A mewing callnote only vaguely catlike, is the source of the name. It also makes a rapid crackling sound, like a dry stick being snapped abruptly into pieces. Its song (if we can call it that) is a remarkable performance. Perching up in a thicket, a male catbird spews out a random series of notes-soft whistles and musical notes, harsh clucks and squawks, whines, gurgles, clicks, squeaks, and fragmentary imitations of other birds—at a rate of about 90 syllables per minute. This babbling delivery can go on for more than 10 minutes without pause, and although many of the noises are repeated, the sequence of notes keeps changing. It really sounds as if the catbird is improvising, making up the song as it goes along.
And this singer has stylish moves to go with his tunes. Watch a catbird in spring and you may see it adopting all kinds of weird postures: fanning and spreading its tail, drooping its wings, puffing out the feathers of its lower back, turning its head to odd angles, all accompanied by a running commentary of bizarre sounds. To add to its quirky appeal, a catbird may act intensely curious—another feline characteristic. People working in their gardens often notice a catbird coming to watch, cocking its head quizzically as it peers at the proceedings. I painted this little fellow on a 16 by 20 inch stratched canvas. I used acrylic paints. Both visiting the Garden and creating the painting were good for my soul. These were peaceful and soothing and healing activities.

12/22/21.. 3rd Place in the contest… MY BEST ONE!

10/25/22...Tied 3rd place in TOO MANY RULES

12/29/22...3rd place tie finish in the Reconstituted Color and Other Additions to Stuff You . . . contest!

Uploaded

April 13th, 2018

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