Mockingbird (Northern)

The mockingbird is about ten inches in length, including its relatively long tail. It has a light grey coat and a whitish underside. Its wings and tail are a darker grey with white patches. The male and females look alike. Juveniles have spotted breast.

The common mockingbird is a superb songbird and mimic. Often it will sing all night long, especially in bright springtime moonlight. Unmated male mockingbirds sing more than mated ones. Both sexes sing in the fall to claim winter feeding territories. These areas are often different than their spring breeding territories.

The song of the mockingbird is, in fact, a medley of the calls of other birds, each repeated several times. Each imitation is repeated two or three times, then another song is started, all in rapid succession. It is common for an individual bird to have as many as 25-30 songs in its repertory.

The mockingbird is also known as a fierce protector of its nest and is sometimes seen swooping down on a predator that may be too close to the nest.

Photographed in the wild, Naples, FL