Northern Mockingbird: Mimus polyglottos

by David McNeill, 10 May, 2005

General Information

Source: http://www.stanfordalumni.org/ birdsite/text/species/ Northern_Mockingbird.html

The Northern Mockingbird is a Mimic Thrush (Family Mimidae) which is common throughout the southeastern US from Florida to Mexico and northward into the Midwest. It is most famous for it's ability to mimic the songs of other birds. Typically, the Northern Mockingbird is found in disturbed sites such as lawns and fields, and are found in areas of dense shrubs at forest edges.

During the late 18th century, the popularity of caged mockingbirds nearly led to their extirpation in areas near large cities. In later years, populations in Hawaii, Oregon, and Canada were thought to be the result of the release of caged birds in these regions¹. The range of the Northern Mockingbird is believed to have been expanding over the course of the 20th century, likely due to the increase of suitable habitats as the result of suburban development¹.

Identification

The Northern Mockingbird is easily identified by it's long tail and white wing bars. Like other members of Family Mimidae, Northern Mockingbirds have distinctively long tails. Both sexes are not sexually dimprphic; both are pale grey, with a light colored underside and large white patches on each wing that are visible during flight. They can also be identified by their call, which is a repertoire of anywhere from 50 to 200 songs of different species found in an individual mockingbird's habitat⁵.

Source: http://www.birdweb.org/ birdweb/species.asp?id=357

The northern mockingbird is a medium sized bird, weighing approximately 47-51 g and typically ranging in length from 22 to 25.5 cm³.