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Home > Birding > Bird Species > Songbirds > Northern Mockingbird

Northern Mockingbird

This around-the-clock songster doesn’t just copy the sounds other birds make. Northern Mockingbirds mimic other things, too - even inanimate objects, like machinery.

  • Northern Mockingbird
    Roland Jordahl

    Northern Mockingbird

  • Northern Mockingbird
    Barbara McGiffin

    Northern Mockingbird

Northern Mockingbird

Barbara McGiffin Northern Mockingbird

Scientific Name: Mimus polyglottos.
Family: Mimic thrush.
Length: 10-1/2 inches.
Wingspan: 14 inches.
Distinctive Markings: Gray with grayish-white underside, white patches  in wings and tail.
Nest: Pair builds a cup-shaped nest in the fork of a shrub; female lays three to six blue or green eggs with brown splotches.
Voice: Almost unlimited variations. Repeats songs several times with a pause before a new series.
Habitat: Backyards, pastures, orchards, farm hedges and woodland edges.
Diet: Insects, fruit and berries.
Backyard Favorites: Berry-producing plants, apple slices, peanut butter, suet, mealworms and raisins.

Listen to the Northern Mockingbird’s song and learn where to spot them!

Bird songs provided by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Northern Mockingbird Bird SpeciesRange maps provided by Kaufman Field Guides, the official field guide of Birds & Blooms.

Photos

  • Northern Mockingbird
    Roland Jordahl

    Northern Mockingbird

  • Northern Mockingbird
    Barbara McGiffin

    Northern Mockingbird

Information

Northern Mockingbird

Barbara McGiffin Northern Mockingbird

Scientific Name: Mimus polyglottos.
Family: Mimic thrush.
Length: 10-1/2 inches.
Wingspan: 14 inches.
Distinctive Markings: Gray with grayish-white underside, white patches  in wings and tail.
Nest: Pair builds a cup-shaped nest in the fork of a shrub; female lays three to six blue or green eggs with brown splotches.
Voice: Almost unlimited variations. Repeats songs several times with a pause before a new series.
Habitat: Backyards, pastures, orchards, farm hedges and woodland edges.
Diet: Insects, fruit and berries.
Backyard Favorites: Berry-producing plants, apple slices, peanut butter, suet, mealworms and raisins.

Bird Song & Range Map

Listen to the Northern Mockingbird’s song and learn where to spot them!

Bird songs provided by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Northern Mockingbird Bird SpeciesRange maps provided by Kaufman Field Guides, the official field guide of Birds & Blooms.

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Comments (1)

  1. I love the mockingbirds. I believe they are also called nightengales. I so enjoy their songs in spring and fall, and their antics in between.

    Reply

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