This is Bird Note.

Some bird names get right to the point, like the gray catbird.

Found from Canada to Columbia, these songbirds make a call like a kitten's meow.

And they are, you guessed it, gray. In fact,

ornithologists have named many gray birds for their predominant hue. Yet some species received

more colorful descriptors than others, like the slate-colored grosbeak, a dark gray forest

bird of Central and South America.

Or the silvered ant bird of the Amazon rainforest.

The plumbius virio's name derives from the Latin word plumbum, meaning lead.

The species is found in the western regions of the U.S. and Mexico, and their cool gray complexion helps set them apart from other virios.

The Glockus Goal and Glockus Tanager are named for the subtle light-blueish tint of their feathers.

In fact, botanists use the same word

to describe plants with a waxy coating, like the gray gleam on succulent leaves and fresh grapes.

Who knew birds come in so many different shades of gray?

For bird note, I'm Ariana Rimmel.