It is found at low elevations in semi-arid to humid habitats ranging from shrubland and abandoned farmland to woodland with thick understory, and is primarily sedentary.

When Philip Sclater first described the black catbird in 1858, from a specimen collected in Omoa Honduras, he assigned it to the monotypic genus Melanoptila, which he created at the same time.

[3] DNA studies have since shown that it is most closely related to various endemic Antillean mimids and the gray catbird,[4] and it is sometimes included with the latter species in the genus Dumetella.

[5] Although some taxonomists place the birds from Mexico's Cozumel Island in a separate subspecies (M. g. cozumelana), most authorities do not feel that such distinction is warranted and the species is generally regarded as monotypic throughout its range.

The melodious blackbird is larger and longer tailed; it has dark eyes and a stocky bill with an evenly curved culmen.

[14] The species is found at low elevations in semi-arid to humid areas in habitats ranging from scrubland and abandoned farmland to wood edge.

[5][8] It prefers areas with dense thickets, scrub or understory, and is uncommon in taller forest where the vegetation beneath the canopy is more open.

[5] Although it is largely sedentary, there may be some localized seasonal movements away from the drier northern parts of the Yucatán Peninsula in late summer to early winter.

Its song consists of repeated phrases of notes ranging from harsh and scratchy to warbled and flute-like,[5] often interspersed with metallic clicking buzzes.

[8] It has a variety of calls, including some which are quite similar to those of the gray catbird;[8] these are variously described as a harsh rriah, a nasal chrrh and a grating tcheeu.

[5] The nest, an open cup of twigs lined with rootlets and other fine material, is placed low in a dense bush or small tree.