Gray Catbird
Central Park, New York

It's exciting to see a new bird, and while this one is not uncommon, I've never seen - or ID'd - one before. 

Literally a gift delivered to me, I was quietly waiting near a flower bed (for a more typical image of a passing horse &amp; buggy) when this little bird perched only a few feet from me. Definitely not one the very common birds, like wrens or starlings, but about the same size. With striking wing 'fins'.

It is called a &quot;catbird&quot; due to its &quot;meow&quot; cry, but it is a relative of the mockingbird, and will mimic other birds in addition to its cat-calls.

Best part for me: where I was seeing an interesting bird. Transitioning from southern swamps &amp; marshes to urban jungle, this oasis with flower beds and birds which enjoy them is...  Central Park, NYC. 

The photograph is mine (this Memorial Day weekend), but I have no video of its song. I did find this short video (not mine) after seeing it while researching online to ID it:

<a href="https://youtu.be/UwBVn98Zrdk" rel="noreferrer nofollow">youtu.be/UwBVn98Zrdk</a>
birdphotography birds fenfotos centralpark nycphotography newyorkcity newyork fujifilm xt2 catbird