A catbird is a gray songbird found across North America, named for its distinctive call that sounds remarkably like a cat's meow. If you've ever been walking through the woods or sitting in your backyard and heard what sounds like a cat but couldn't spot one anywhere, you might have been hearing a catbird hidden in the bushes.

Catbirds belong to the same family as mockingbirds and thrashers, and they share their relatives' talent for complex songs. Beyond their famous cat-like call, catbirds can string together long, musical phrases that sound almost like they're improvising a jazz performance. They're talented mimics too, sometimes copying the songs of other birds or even mechanical sounds they hear around human neighborhoods.

The phrase sitting in the catbird seat means being in an advantageous or enviable position, like having the best view at a baseball game or being first in line for dessert. The expression comes from the idea of a catbird perched high up in a tree, surveying everything below from a perfect vantage point. When you're in the catbird seat, you're in a comfortable position where good things are likely to come your way.