Mocking Bird Information
Although there are about 17 known species of mockingbirds in the world, the only one commonly found in northern America is the northern mockingbird. Mockingbirds are so called for their distinct ability to mimic and mock the songs of other birds. Male mockingbirds sing the loudest with unmated males often singing into the night. During his lifetime a male mockingbird can learn up to 200 songs. As well as songs, they have also been known to imitate sounds such as dogs barking, sirens and babies crying.
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Description
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The northern mockingbird is gray from head to foot with white patches on its wings and tail. When in flight these white patches flash brightly and distinctly. Its belly is a lighter gray, and the tips of the wings and tail darken until they are almost black.
Diet
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During the winter and fall months, mockingbirds are known to eat fruits and berries and drink the sap from trees. During the remainder of the year, mockingbirds eat mainly insects and sometimes small lizards. Their insect diet includes bees and wasps, butterflies and moths, ants, caterpillars and earthworms. People that want to attract mocking birds to their garden can buy suet from a meat counter and place it in a feeder. Suet is made from beef kidney fat and is an excellent way to reproduce the mockingbird's natural dietary needs.
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Habitat
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The northern mockingbird likes to live in urban and suburban areas, nesting high up in trees or in the middle of bushes. It is often seen in areas of open ground as well, where it likes to forage for insects. The mockingbird prefers grassy areas rather than unprotected bare land when it is on the ground and when it is not, it likes to perch on telegraph poles and sing.
Behavior
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The northern mockingbird can put on some unusual displays at times, which often leave bird enthusiasts perplexed as to their purpose. Mockingbirds have been seen on telegraph poles to be singing only to then fly up in the air in a circle and then land again without dropping a note. Mockingbirds are also fiercely territorial, attacking other mockingbirds, other bird species, cats, dogs and even humans when perceived as a threat to their territory.
Breeding
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When a pair of mockingbirds mate they tend to mate for life, returning to each other every mating season. During this time the male will spend most of his time building nests while the female watches out for predators. The nests can be built anywhere from three to 60 feet off of the ground, and most of the time multiple nests will be built so the female can have her choice. The eggs, once laid, are a blue-green color with speckled dots, and there are usually three to five eggs at any one time. The eggs will be incubated for about two weeks before they hatch, at which point both the male and female mockingbirds take turns feeding their young.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Northern Mockingbird image by Gail Ranney from Fotolia.com
