Northern Mockingbird

Welcome to this week’s Wildlife of the Week!

Our species

this week is the Northern Mockingbird!

Mimus polyglottos

The jaunty Northern Mockingbird is our Wildlife of the Week. They are medium-sized songbirds, 9-11 inches long with small heads, a long thin bill and long legs. Their wings are short and broad, making the tail seem particularly long in flight. They have grayish plumage, paler on the breast and belly, with two white wingbars on each wing. A white patch on each wing is often visible on perched birds, and in flight these become large white flashes. White outer tail feathers are also conspicuous in flight.

They are loud and gregarious birds, often perched high and exposed on trees, bushes, fences and wires. They are comfortable around humans and are often spotted in backyards and around houses. Very common in towns and cities, especially in southern areas, the Northern Mockingbird often hunts insects on open lawns. When running in the open it may stop every few feet and partly spread its wings, flashing the white wing patches.

They are very vocal and have dozens of songs and imitations. In addition to mimicking the calls of other birds they have been known to imitate the voices of frogs and toads, music and machinery. They often mimic the call of red-tailed hawks, confusing birders with their eerily accurate imitation. John James Audubon was so in awe of this bird's singing ability, he wrote of the Northern Mockingbird in Birds of America, “There is probably no bird in the world that possesses all the musical qualifications of this king of song, who has derived all from Nature's self."

Found alone or in pairs, seldom gathering in large groups, they noisily make their presence known. Mockingbirds are aggressive and will forcefully chase off intruders in their territory. Any living thing that approaches their nest is subject to attack and they will aggressively chase off cats and even humans that venture too close.

Their diet consists primarily of insects and berries. They feed heavily on insects in late spring and summer, especially beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants and wasps. They will rarely eat crayfish and lizards. Fall and winter diet leans heavily to berries and wild fruits. They hunt insects mostly while walking and running on the ground or will stalk prey from a low perch and swoop down to capture them.

Fun Fact: Because of the Northern Mockingbird’s impressive vocal talents, the illegal pet trade depleted their populations by poaching wild birds in the 19th century. The best singers were worth up to $50 in 1828—that’s more than $1,300 in today’s dollars.

Northern mockingbirds are present on the refuge year-round and can often be found on low branches and shrubs on field edges. (Photos by Tom Ress)