How do mockingbirds live

Northern Mockingbirds are found alone or in pairs throughout the year. They make themselves easily visible, sitting and singing atop shrubs, trees, utility lines, fences, and poles. On the ground they walk, run, and hop along the ground, tail cocked upwards, grabbing at prey on the ground or snatching insects just over the grass.

Mockingbirds sometimes fly up and hover to grab at hanging fruit. The Northern Mockingbird is aggressive throughout the year. Females typically fend off other female mockingbirds, while males confront male intruders.

Males disputing territory boundaries fly toward each other, land near the boundary, and face off, silently hopping from one side to another. Eventually, one bird retreats and the other chases it a short ways. If neither bird retreats, they may fly at each other, grappling with wings and claws and pecking at each other. Mockingbirds are also territorial around other bird species as well as dogs and cats.

The flight style of mockingbirds is variable but typically leisurely, with showy wingbeats. Sometimes Northern Mockingbirds simply drop quickly from a perch with their wings folded. Mockingbird nests consist of dead twigs shaped into an open cup, lined with grasses, rootlets, leaves, and trash, sometimes including bits of plastic, aluminum foil, and shredded cigarette filters.

The male constructs the twig foundation while the female makes most of the lining. A medium-sized songbird, a bit more slender than a thrush and with a longer tail.

The mockingbird can imitate many sounds, including the chirps of some 35 different bird species. And the chatty flier can learn over different songs in its lifetime. Get the scoop on this superb bird.

Northern mockingbirds live across the United States and in parts of Canada and Mexico. These birds are gray and brown with white patches on both the bottoms and tops of their wings. Males, which weigh about as much as four tablespoons of sugar and sport a inch-long wingspan, are slightly bigger than female mockingbirds. Females have slightly darker tail feathers than males. The mockingbird dines on fruit, seeds, berries, and small insects such as beetles, earthworms, moths, butterflies, and bees.

Snakes, owls, hawks, blue jays, American alligators , and raccoons prey on these birds. Their bills are black and curved a little bit downward. Young northern mockingbirds look similar to adults, but they have brown spots on their underparts. Derrickson and Breitwisch, ; Rylander, Northern mockingbirds live throughout North America, including Canada and Mexico. They are most common in the southern United States, especially in Texas and Florida. Northern mockingbirds like open habitats and forest edges.

They are often seen in residential areas, farmlands, along roads, in city parks, open grassy areas with thickets and brushy deserts. They like grassy areas, but need a tree or other high structure to perch on. Northern mockingbirds occupy similar habitat all year. Northern mockingbirds are usually monogamous. However, occasionally one male will mate with more than two females. Male and female breeding pairs usually stay together for a whole breeding season, and sometimes for many years.

Males choose a territory and then try to attract a female to mate there. There are three courtship displays that males use to attract female. The male may chase the female through the territory while singing, or her may run around on branches, showing the female where a nest could be built.

This display shows off their white wing patches to the female. Derrickson and Breitwisch, ; Holoweb, ; Rylander, Northern mockingbirds breed in spring and early summer. Their nests are cup-shaped and are made of twigs, cotton, dry leaves, stems, paper, grass and other organic material.

The nests are built in shrubs and trees up to 50 feet above the ground. The female lays two to six eggs average 4 eggs. The eggs are about 24 mm long and 18 mm wide. They are blue or greenish with brown or reddish spots. Female mockingbirds incubate the eggs, males do not.

The eggs hatch after 11 to 14 days. The chicks are helpless when they hatch. However, they grow quickly and can leave the nest after 10 to 12 days. When the chicks leave the nest, the male continues to feed them and teaches them to fly.

The female begins building a new nest for the next brood of eggs. The fledglings become independent from their parents when they are 10 to 15 days old. They may begin breeding when they are one year old. Northern mockingbirds can raise 2 to 4 broods each year. Females incubate the eggs, males do not. When the eggs hatch, the female and male both feed and protect the helpless chicks. After the chicks leave the nest, the female begins to build a new nest for a second brood.

During this time, the male teaches the chicks to fly and feeds them. Derrickson and Breitwisch, ; Gough, et al. Northern mockingbirds have been known to live up to 8 years in the wild. Captive northern mockingbirds have lived up to 20 years. Derrickson and Breitwisch, ; Sprott and Mazzotti, Northern mockingbirds are excellent singers.

They can perform at least 39 different songs and 50 different call notes. Northern mockingbirds can also imitate sounds that they hear. For example, the may imitate dogs barking or the songs of other birds.