The term 'catbird seat' is an idiom that refers to a position of advantage or superiority. It is derived from a short story by James Thurber in which a catbird sits in a tree and mocks a couple below. The crossword solutions for this term are ROOST (5 letters), NEST (4 letters), PERCH (5 letters), tree (4 letters), and ROOSTS (6 letters). All of these words refer to places where birds can rest, which is the origin of the phrase 'catbird seat'.