A query to the bird lovers among us. I know that the expression "catbird seat" has been accepted so widely that there is no hope of changing it, but I would welcome comments from those of us who have observed catbirds as to whether or not they have actually observed a catbird perched on a high place, let alone acting bold.
I have seen many catbirds when I lived in Massachusetts. They were very shy, almost always in thick shrubs. I never saw one perched elsewhere. Never did I see one on top of a telephone pole, dead tree, chimney, or any such place. None of the bird books I used to have mentioned any preference for a high perch.
On the other hand, the mockingbird perches on top of telephone poles, telephone wires,or chimneys, from which they dive to catch insects, particularly when they have young to feed. And they act cocky as the devil. It is fun to watch then torment a squirrel doing a tightrope act on the TV cable, pecking the squirrels posterior knowing the squirrel has to concentrate on his footwork and cannot retaliate in any way. They also boldly drive crows away.
I think Red Barber did not know how to tell a mockingbird from a catbird. Actually, the mockingbird is easy to identify, as it has large white patches in middle third of wings that no other bird close to houses has.
Think it over, and let's see how many people still feel willing to go along with Red Barber. Any untruth repeated often enough becomes gospel.