Mimus polyglottos.
Many-throated imitator.
I love mockingbirds.
Of all the migratory birds that grace America, they are the most prolific singers in the bird world.
They have even had a rock-n-roll song written in their honor.
They are also mentioned in the famous Harper Lee novel, “To Kill A Mockingbird”. Atticus Finch, father of the protagonist character, Scout, tells her and her brother, Jem, that it was wrong to ever harm a mockingbird. He states that they can “shoot all the bluejays they want”, but, they must remember that “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Later he says that it is a sin because mockingbirds do no harm. They only provide pleasure with their songs:
“They don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us”.
The mockingbird is a recurring motif that symbolizes innocence and victims of race hatred, injustice and intolerance throughout the world, and in the case of the novel, black Americans.
The mockingbird is a symbol of innocence and beauty against racism and hatred.
The supreme bird of imitation, or “mocking”, the Mockingbird does not come by its name unearned. Capable of imitating the bark of a dog, the rumble of a lawnmower, and especially the songs of other birds, the Mockingbird is nature’s great imitator, and the state bird of Texas. With a fierce reputation of protecting their young, they will bravely dive-bomb any potential threats to their nests and have been seen attacking cats, dogs, opossums—and even humans.
The Northern Mockingbird is the most numerous of the species, with a breeding range throughout the United States and Canada, and including the Caribbean area. There are also tropical species of Mockingbirds.
Similar to canaries in singing repertoire, it is the male Mockingbird who generally does most of the singing.
The female Northern Mockingbird sings too, although usually more quietly than the male does. She rarely sings in the summer, usually only when the male is away from the territory. She sings more in the fall, perhaps to establish territory.
During nesting, both parents defend the young baby nestlings. Insects, fruit, crustaceans and small vertebrates make up the Mockingbird’s diet. The fact that they enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables hasn’t exactly made them gardener’s friends, either, although they do eat lots of insects, many of which are harmful to garden and floral plants.
The Northern Mockingbird when moving about on the ground, will frequently give a “wing flash” display, where it half or fully opens its wings in a herky-jerky type movement with intermediate steps, showing off the big white patches on its wings. No one knows why it does this behaviour, but, some have suggested that it startles insects into revealing themselves. However, it does not appear to flush insects, and other Mockingbirds species that do not have white wing patches use the display, casing doubt on this idea.
The Northern Mockingbird, in addition to being a good mimic, is … one of the loudest and most constantly vocal of birds. It often sings through the night, especially unmated males, or when the moon is full. It sings year-round except sometimes for the late-summer moulting season. Individual males have repertoires of 50 to 200 songs. Mockingbirds usually sing the loudest in the twilight of the early morning when the sun is on the horizon.
Listen to the audio clips, and fall in love with one of Nature’s most wonderful singing impresarios:
“A Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) marks his Summer territory in the mesquite near Peck’s Lake (100K). His scientific name means “Many-Throated Imitator” – and that he is! In this 10-second sample, he sings 8 distinct songs, that’s an average of a song every second and a half or so. The entire recording lasts more than 90 seconds, and he never repeats! Many of the snippets he sings are easily recognizable as the Cardinal, Cactus Wren, and various orioles. This MP3 is of a different bird, featured on my Tavasci Marsh CD. (MP3 24 sec 71K)Here’s a direct comparison between a Cardinal and a Mocker. The first three notes are the Cardinal, the second three are the Mocker imitating a Cardinal. The Mocker’s version is nearly perfect! (27K)
Here’s a treat! This is a Mockingbird’s “whisper song”, sung in mid October. Mockers and other songbirds sometimes sing these “whisper songs”, which can only be heard a short distance away (50 feet or less) in the latter parts of the year. This recording is from only 10 feet with a very sensitive shotgun mic. Female mockers are known to do this, but the reasons are not clear. If you have a theory, let me know! (251K)
This is a song phrase I find particularly interesting (86K) because I don’t recognize it as mimicry of another bird’s song, but it is very structured – maybe a mechanical sound he heard somewhere?”
Northern Mockingbird singing, courtesy of the website, “JungleWalk” (http://www.junglewalk.com) and Nature’s Songs (http://www.naturesongs.com)
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Ann
Gorgeous! I love it.