Sitting in the catbird seat is an informal expression that means being in a very good position. It may come from the catbird's preference for high tree branches, which helps it to avoid predators. The phrase was used by the baseball broadcaster Red Barber, who may have learned it from a short story by James Thurber.
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It’s ruffled many feathers, using the arrest of three accused Jan. 6 fugitives over the weekend to remind Americans just who’s sitting in the catbird seat -- the Democratic party and friends.
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Catbird
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Catbird (disambiguation).
White-eared catbird
Gray catbird
A gray catbird voicing cat-like sounds at Wildwood Preserve Metropark, Ohio, US
Several unrelated groups of songbirds are called catbirds because of their wailing calls, which resemble a cat's meowing. The genus name Ailuroedus likewise is from the Greek for 'cat-singer' or 'cat-voiced'.