Animal Corner

Discover the many amazing animals that live on our planet.

  • Home
  • A-Z Animals
  • Anatomy
  • Glossary
  • Animal Lists
    • Animal By Letter
    • Animals by Location
    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
  • Free Resources
    • Animal Coloring Pages
    • Animal Jokes
    • Animal Quizzes
  • Pets
    • Dog Breeds
    • Rabbit Breeds
    • Cat Breeds
    • Pet Rodents
    • Animal Care
  • Blog
You are here: Home / Animals / Northern Mockingbird

Northern Mockingbird

mimus_polyglottos1

The Northern Mockingbird is one of the most fascinating creatures in North America. This small songbird has an interesting history and a unique appearance.

The northern mockingbird is an omnivore that feeds on insects as well as fruits. It forages in grassy land and is commonly found in open areas and forest edges. Southeastern Canada, the United States, northern Mexico, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, and the Greater Antilles are all breeding grounds for the northern mockingbird. It is replaced further south by the tropical mockingbird, its closest living relative.

The Mockingbird

The Mockingbird is so revered that it is the state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, and Mississippi.

APPEARANCE

The Mockingbird has a white chest and underside, as well as light gray tones. They measure about 10 inches in length when including the tail. Two white spots may be seen within the Mockingbird’s 14-inch wingspan while it is flying.

The Northern Mockingbird is a medium-sized, brownish gray songbird with a black tail that has distinctive white outer feathers and a black center tail feather.

The beak of the Northern Mockingbird is thin black and brown. Their eyes are yellowish to orange in color, have a faint dark eyeliner, and have a thin dark

HABITAT

Mockingbirds prefer to build their nests close to the ground in thick, thorny bushes. The shrubs they pick also include a high lookout perch where the male Mockingbird will keep a lookout for any danger and sing to defend his territory.

northern-mockingbird-in-mid-flight-9555501

Males and females work together to construct thick, open nests out of mostly grass and twigs. They usually create two nests each year, but sometimes three or four nests in response to weather conditions. They do not migrate far from their nesting site throughout the year.

DIET

Mockingbirds need open areas where they can feed. The main food of mockingbirds is insects, such as beetles, ants, grasshoppers, and spiders. They also will eat winter berries and seeds.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Mockingbird’s name comes from the fact that it imitates the songs of other birds. One bird may have up to 200 distinct songs, although most have at least 25 and perhaps as many as 30.

Mockingbirds have the ability to mimic the sounds of various invertebrates, amphibians, and inanimate noises like squeaky gates, pianos, or sirens.

They are tenacious defenders of their nesting grounds, and will dive bomb cats and dogs that get too close, as well as mimic them.

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

  • Kingdom: Animalia (animal) 
  • Phylum: Chordata (chordates) 
  • Class: Aves (birds) 
  • Order: Passeriformes (perching birds)
  • Family: Sturnidae (starlings) 
  • Genus: Mimus Boie, 1826 (mockingbirds)
  • Species: Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) — Centzontle norteño (northern mockingbird)
  • Scientific Name: Mimus polyglottos

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About

  • 1024px-northern_flicker_roslyn_cropped
    Yellowhammer
  • Galapagos Mockingbird
  • Hoopoe Birds
  • Cardinal Birds
  • Northern Short-tailed Shrew
  • Galapagos Brown Pelican Birds

About Joanne Spencer

I've always been passionate about animals which led me to a career in training and behaviour. As an animal professional I'm committed to improving relationships between people and animals to bring them more happiness.

Animal Classification

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Mimidae
Genus:Mimus
Species:M. polyglottos
Binomial name:
Mimus polyglottos

Search

Most Popular Animals

  • Zebras
  • Aquatic Warbler
  • Atlantic Dolphins
  • Trapdoor Spider
  • Giraffe
  • Meerkats
  • Timber Wolf
  • Praying Mantis
  • Huntsman Spider
  • Vampire Bat

Galapagos Islands

galapagos-islands

Animal Names Glossary

Animal Names

British Wildlife

british-wildlife

Mammals

anatomy

Dog Breeds

dog breeds

Farm Animals

Farm Animals

Best of the Blog

  • 21 Amazing Animals that live in Lakes
  • What are the Fastest Animals in the World?
  • 31 Animals with Weird and Funny Sounding Names
  • Top 15 Deadliest Animals in the World
  • Ophiophagy – Examples of animals that eat snakes
  • List of Fascinating Solitary Animals

Copyright © 2005-2022 · Animal Corner · All Rights Reserved · Affiliate Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Animals Sitemap . About Us

AnimalCorner.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.