Black catbird

Description

At 19–20.5 cm (7.5–8.1 in) in length and 31.6–42 g (1.11–1.48 oz) in mass,the black catbird is the smallest of the mimids.It has short,rounded wings and a relatively long tail.The sexes are similar in appearance,though the male tends to be heavier.The plumage is glossy black with a purplish sheen overall,though the rectrices and primary and secondary coverts have a greenish sheen and the remiges are a duller blackish-brown color showing reduced sheen.The female is less glossy than the male,and juveniles are brownish-gray with mottling below.The legs are black.The bill,which is black and shorter than the head,has a generally straight culmen,decurved toward the tip The iris is a dark reddish color in adults and gray in juveniles.