Northern mockingbird: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Species of bird}} |
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{{Taxobox |
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{{Speciesbox |
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| name = Northern Mockingbird |
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| name = Northern mockingbird |
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| image = Mimus polyglottos -Krendle Woods, Cary, North Carolina, USA-8.jpg |
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| image = Mockingbird in Bay Ridge (85082).jpg |
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| image_caption = In [[Cary, North Carolina]], USA |
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| image_caption = An adult in New York City |
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| status = LC |
| status = LC |
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| status_system = IUCN3.1 |
| status_system = IUCN3.1 |
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| status_ref = <ref name=IUCN>{{ |
| status_ref = <ref name=IUCN>{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2017 |title=''Mimus polyglottos'' |amends=2016 |page=e.T22711026A111233524 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22711026A111233524.en |access-date=9 October 2022}}</ref> |
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| genus = Mimus |
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| regnum = [[Animal]]ia |
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| species = polyglottos |
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| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]] |
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| authority = ([[Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]) |
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| classis = [[Bird|Aves]] |
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| range_map = Northern_Mockingbird-rangemap.gif |
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| ordo = [[Passerine|Passeriformes]] |
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| range_map_caption = Northern mockingbird range {{leftlegend|#FFFF00|Breeding range|outline=gray}}{{leftlegend|#00BE03|Year-round range|outline=gray}} |
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| familia = [[Mimid]]ae |
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| synonyms = *''Turdus polyglottos'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1758}} |
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| genus = ''[[Mimus]]'' |
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| species = '''''M. polyglottos''''' |
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| binomial = ''Mimus polyglottos'' |
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| binomial_authority = ([[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758) |
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| range_map = Northern_Mockingbird-rangemap.gif |
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| range_map_width = |
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| range_map_caption = Northern Mockingbird range {{leftlegend|#FFFF00|Breeding range|outline=gray}}{{leftlegend|#00BE03|Year-round range|outline=gray}} |
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The ''' |
The '''northern mockingbird''' ('''''Mimus polyglottos''''') is a [[mockingbird]] commonly found in North America, of the family [[Mimid]]ae. The species is also found in some parts of the [[Caribbean]], as well as on the [[Hawaiian Islands]]. It is typically a permanent [[Bird migration|resident]] across much of its range, but northern mockingbirds may move farther south during inclement weather or prior to the onset of winter. The northern mockingbird has gray to brown upper feathers and a paler belly. Its tail and wings have white patches which are visible in flight.<ref>{{cite web |title=Northern Mockingbird |url=https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird/id |publisher=All About Birds}}</ref> |
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This species was first described by [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]] in his ''[[Systema Naturae|Systema Naturæ]]'' in 1758 as ''Turdus polyglottos.'' The Northern Mockingbird is renowned for its mimicking ability, as reflected by the meaning of its scientific name, 'many-tongued mimic.' The Northern Mockingbird has gray to brown upper feathers and a paler belly. Its wings have white patches which are visible in flight. Males and females look alike, though only males sing. |
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The species is known for its ability to mimic bird calls and other types of sound, including artificial and electronic noises. Studies have shown its ability to identify individual humans and treat them differently based on learned threat assessments.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Levey |first1=Douglas J. |last2=Londoño |first2=Gustavo A. |last3=Ungvari-Martin |first3=Judit |last4=Hiersoux |first4=Monique R. |last5=Jankowski |first5=Jill E. |last6=Poulsen |first6=John R. |last7=Stracey |first7=Christine M. |last8=Robinson |first8=Scott K. |date=2009-06-02 |title=Urban mockingbirds quickly learn to identify individual humans |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=106 |issue=22 |pages=8959–8962 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0811422106 |doi-access=free |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=2690012 |pmid=19451622|bibcode=2009PNAS..106.8959L }}</ref> It is an [[omnivore]] and consumes fruit, invertebrates, and small vertebrates. It is often found in open areas, open woodlands and forest edges, and is quite common in urbanized areas. The species breeds from southeastern Canada throughout the United States to the [[Greater Antilles]]. It is listed as a species of [[least concern]] by the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]]. |
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The Northern Mockingbird is an [[omnivore]]. It eats both insects and fruits. It is often found in open areas and forest edges but forages in grassy land. The Northern Mockingbird breeds in southeastern [[Canada]], the [[United States]], northern [[Mexico]], the [[Bahamas]], the [[Cayman Islands]] and the [[Greater Antilles]]. It is replaced further south by its closest living relative, the [[Tropical Mockingbird]]. The [[Socorro Mockingbird]], an [[endangered species]], is also closely related, contrary to previous opinion. The Northern Mockingbird is listed as of [[Least Concern]] according to the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] (IUCN). |
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The mockingbird is influential in United States culture, being the [[List of U.S. state birds|state bird]] of five states, appearing in book titles, songs and lullabies, and making other appearances in popular culture. |
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The Northern Mockingbird is known for its intelligence and has also been noted in North American culture. A 2009 study showed that the bird was able to recognize individual humans, particularly noting those who had previously been intruders or threats. Also birds recognize their breeding spots and return to areas in which they had greatest success in previous years. Urban birds are more likely to demonstrate this behavior. Finally, the mockingbird has influenced United States culture in multiple ways. The bird is a State bird of 5 states, has been used in book titles, and has also been used in popular songs and lullabies among other appearances in U.S. culture. |
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==Taxonomy== |
==Taxonomy== |
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Swedish zoologist [[Carl Linnaeus]] first [[species description|described]] this species in his [[Systema Naturae]] in 1758 as a species of [[Turdus|thrush]], ''Turdus polyglottos''.<ref name=Linnaeus>{{cite book | last=Linnæi | first=Caroli | author-link=Carl Linnaeus | title=Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis | publisher= Laurentii Salvii|location=Holmiæ [''Stockholm''] | year=1758| quote = T. obscure cinereus, subtus pallide cinereus, macula alarum albida [''T. dark gray, pale gray underneath, white wing spot'']|edition=10th Revised|volume=1 |trans-title=The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places|page=169|language=la|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/10277#page/188/mode/1up}}</ref> Its current genus name, ''Mimus'', is [[Latin]] for "mimic" and the specific ''polyglottos'', is from [[Ancient Greek]] {{Transliteration|grc|poluglottos}}, "harmonious", from ''polus'', "many", and ''glossa'', "tongue",<ref name=job>{{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A.|author-link=James A. Jobling | year= 2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url= https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher= [[Christopher Helm]] | location = London | isbn = 978-1-4081-2501-4 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling/page/n255 255], 313}}</ref> representing its outstanding ability to mimic various sounds.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Tveten|first1=John|last2=Tveten|first2=Gloria|title=Our Life with Birds: A Nature Trails Book|year=2004|publisher=[[Texas A&M University Press]]|location=[[College Station, Texas]]|isbn=978-1-58544-380-2|edition=1st|page=234|url=https://archive.org/details/ourlifewithbirds0000tvet/mode/2up|url-access=registration}}</ref> The northern mockingbird is considered to be [[conspecific]] with the [[tropical mockingbird]] (''Mimus gilvus'').<ref>{{cite book|title=Check-list of North American Birds|url=https://americanornithology.org/publications/north-and-middle-american-checklist/|year=1998|publisher=[[American Ornithological Society]]|edition=7th|chapter=Passeriformes:Incertae Sedis - Mimidae|chapter-url=https://americanornithology.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/AOSChecklistPass-Mimidae.pdf|first1=R. T.|last1=Chesser|first2=S. M.|last2=Billerman|first3=K. J.|last3=Burns|display-authors=3|author4=C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, B. E. Hernández-Baños, R. A. Jiménez, O. Johnson, A. W. Kratter, N. A. Mason, and P. C. Rasmussen|page=516}}</ref> |
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This species is categorized as the northern mockingbird as the closest living relative to ''M. gilvus''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hunt |first1=Jeffrey S.|last2=Bermingham|first2=Eldredge |last3=Ricklefs|first3=Robert E. |author-link3=Robert Ricklefs|year=2001 |title=Molecular systematics and biogeography of Antillean thrashers, tremblers, and mockingbirds (Aves: Mimidae)|url=https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v118n01/p00035-p00055.pdf |journal=[[Auk (journal)|Auk]] |volume= 118 |issue= 1 |pages=35–55 |doi=10.1642/0004-8038(2001)118[0035:MSABOA]2.0.CO;2|jstor=4089757|s2cid=51797284}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Barber |first1=Brian R. |last2=Martínez-Gómez|first2=Juan E. |last3=Peterson|first3=A. Townsend |year=2004 |title=Systematic position of the Socorro mockingbird ''Mimodes graysoni'' |journal=[[Journal of Avian Biology]] |volume= 35 |issue= 3 |page=195-198 |doi=10.1111/j.0908-8857.2004.03233.x|url=https://nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.0908-8857.2004.03233.x}}</ref> |
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===Subspecies=== |
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There are three recognized subspecies for the northern mockingbird.<ref name=helm02/><ref name="Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)">{{cite web|title=Northern Mockingbird (''Mimus polyglottos'')|url=http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/northern-mockingbird-mimus-polyglottos|website=The Internet Bird Collection|publisher=[[Lynx Nature Books]]|access-date=2024-07-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221170634/http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/northern-mockingbird-mimus-polyglottos |archive-date=2012-02-21|author=<!--Not stated-->}}</ref> There have been proposed races from the Bahamas and Haiti placed under the ''orpheus'' section.<ref name="Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)"/> |
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*''M. p. polyglottos'' ([[Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]): generally found in the eastern portion of North America ranging from Nova Scotia to Nebraska, to as far south as Texas and Florida.<ref name=helm02/><ref name="Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)"/> |
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*''M. p. leucopterus'', the western mockingbird (Vigors, 1839): generally found in the western portion of North America ranging from northwestern Nebraska and western Texas to the Pacific coast, and south to Mexico (the [[Isthmus of Tehuantepec]]), and [[Socorro Island]].<ref name=helm02/><ref name="Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)"/> It is larger than ''M. p. polyglottos'' and has a slightly shorter tail, upperparts are more buff and paler, underparts have a stronger buff pigment.<ref name=helm02/> |
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*''M. p. orpheus'' ([[Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]) from the Bahamas to the [[Greater Antilles]], also the [[Cayman Islands|Cayman]] and Virgin Islands.<ref name="Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)"/> Similar to ''M. m. polyglottos'' except smaller, a paler shade of gray on its back, and underparts with practically little, if any buff at all.<ref name=helm02/> |
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==Description== |
==Description== |
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| image1 = Mockingbird, Northern SunsetBeach.jpg |
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| caption1 = Adult at [[Sunset Beach, North Carolina]] |
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| image1 = Mockingbird, Northern SunsetBeach.jpg |
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| image2 = Baby-mocker.jpg |
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| caption1 = Adult at Sunset Beach, North Carolina |
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| caption2 = Fledgling mockingbird in<br />[[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania |
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| image3 = Juvenile Northern mockingbird.jpg |
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| caption3 = Juvenile northern mockingbird with spotting visible |
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The |
The northern mockingbird is a medium-sized [[mimid]] that has long legs and tail.<ref name="University of Michigan Museum of Zoology">{{cite web|last=Breitmeyer|first=E.|title=''Mimus Polyglottos''|url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Mimus_polyglottos.html|year=2007|work=Animal Diversity Web|publisher=University of Michigan Museum of Zoology|access-date=23 July 2012}}</ref> Males and females look alike.<ref name=natureworks>{{cite web|title=Northern Mockingbird – ''Mimus polyglottos''|url=http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/mockingbird.htm|publisher=Nature Works|access-date=11 December 2012}}</ref> Its upper parts are colored gray, while its underparts have a white or whitish-gray color.<ref name=Smithison92>{{cite journal|last=Derrickson|first=K.C.|author2=Breitwisch, R. |title=Northern Mockingbird|journal=The Birds of North America|year=1992|volume=7|pages=1–26|url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/4030/Derrickson1992.pdf|doi=10.2173/bna.7}}</ref> |
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It has parallel wing bars on the half of the wings connected near the white patch giving it a distinctive appearance in flight.<ref name=Smithison92/> The black central [[flight feather|rectrices]] and typical white lateral rectrices are also noticeable in flight.<ref name=Smithison92/> The [[iris (anatomy)|iris]] is usually a light green-yellow or a yellow, but there have been instances of an orange color.<ref name=helm02/> The bill is black with a brownish black appearance at the base.<ref name=helm02/> The juvenile appearance is marked by its streaks on its back, distinguished spots and streaks on its chest, and a gray or grayish-green iris.<ref name=helm02>{{cite book|last=Brewer|first= |
It has parallel wing bars on the half of the wings connected near the white patch giving it a distinctive appearance in flight.<ref name=Smithison92/> The black central [[flight feather|rectrices]] and typical white lateral rectrices are also noticeable in flight.<ref name=Smithison92/> The [[iris (anatomy)|iris]] is usually a light green-yellow or a yellow, but there have been instances of an orange color.<ref name=helm02/> The bill is black with a brownish black appearance at the base.<ref name=helm02/> The juvenile appearance is marked by its streaks on its back, distinguished spots and streaks on its chest, and a gray or grayish-green iris.<ref name=helm02>{{cite book|last=Brewer|first=David|title=Wrens, Dippers, and Thrashers|publisher=[[Yale University Press]]|year=2001|pages=212–13|isbn=0-300-09059-5|url=https://archive.org/details/wrensdippersthra0000brew/page/212}}</ref> |
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Northern |
Northern mockingbirds measure from {{convert|20.5|to|28|cm|in|abbr=on}} including a tail almost as long as its body. The wingspan can range from {{convert|31|-|38|cm|in|abbr=on}} and body mass is from {{convert|40|-|58|g|oz|abbr=on}}. Males tend to be slightly larger than females.<ref name="AllAboutBirds">{{cite web|title=Northern Mockingbird|url=http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird/lifehistory|work=The Cornell Lab of Ornithology|publisher=All About Birds|access-date=3 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020164934/http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird/lifehistory|archive-date=20 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Dunning Jr.|first=J. B.|title=CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses|year=1993|publisher=CRC Press|location=Boca Raton|isbn=978-0-8493-4258-5}}</ref> Among standard measurements, the [[Wing chord (biology)|wing chord]] is {{convert|10|to|12|cm|in|abbr=on}}, the [[tail]] is {{convert|10|to|13.4|cm|in|abbr=on}}, the [[Culmen (bird)|culmen]] is {{convert|1.6|to|1.9|cm|in|abbr=on}} and the [[Tarsus (skeleton)|tarsus]] is {{convert|2.9|to|3.4|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name=helm02/> |
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The |
The northern mockingbird's lifespan is observed to be up to 8 years, but captive birds can live up to 20 years.<ref name=Wildlife>{{cite web|title=Northern Mockingbird|url=http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Birds/Northern-Mockingbird.aspx|work=Wildlife|publisher=National Wildlife Federation|access-date=11 December 2012|archive-date=17 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017124716/http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Birds/Northern-Mockingbird.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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==Distribution and habitat== |
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The mockingbird's breeding range is from the [[Maritime provinces]] westwards to British Columbia, practically the entire continental United States south of the northern [[Great Plains|Plains states]] and [[Pacific Northwest]], the [[Greater Antilles]], and the majority of Mexico to eastern [[Oaxaca]] and [[Veracruz]].<ref name=helm02/> The mockingbird is generally a year-round resident of its range, but the birds that live in the northern portion of its range have been noted farther south during the winter season.<ref name=Smithison92/> Sightings of the mockingbird have also been recorded in Hawaii (where it was introduced in the 1920s),<ref name="Northern Mockingbird:BNA"/> southeastern Alaska,<ref name=TheAuk>{{cite journal|title=The AOU Check-list of North American Birds, 7th Edition:Incertae Sedis – Mimidae|journal=The Auk|year=1998|volume=7|pages=416–522|url=https://americanornithology.org/publications/north-and-middle-american-checklist/}}</ref> and three times as transatlantic vagrants in Britain,<ref name=Smithison92/> most recently in Exmouth, Devon, UK in February and March 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-04|title=Britain's third Northern Mockingbird found in Devon|url=https://www.birdguides.com/articles/britain-ireland/britains-third-northern-mockingbird-found-in-devon/|access-date=2021-04-04|website=Bird Guides|language=en}}</ref> The mockingbird is thought to be at least partly migratory in the northern portions of its range, but the migratory behavior is not well understood.<ref name="Northern Mockingbird:BNA"/> |
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The Mockingbird usually resides in fields and forest edges.<ref name=helm02/> It is usually seen in farmlands, roadsides, city parks, suburban areas, and open grassy areas with thickets and brushy deserts.<ref name="University of Michigan Museum of Zoology"/> When foraging for food, it prefers short grass.<ref name=Smithison92/> It also has an affinity for mowed lawns.<ref name=Smithison92/> This bird does not nest in densely forested areas.<ref name=helm02/><ref name=UMNP05>{{cite book|last=Corman|first=T. E.|title=Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas|year=2005|publisher=University of New Mexico Press|location=Albuquerque|isbn=0-8263-3379-6|pages=444–447|coauthors=Wise-Gervais, C.}}</ref> |
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In the 19th century, the range of the mockingbird expanded northward towards provinces such as Nova Scotia and Ontario and states such as Massachusetts, although the sightings were sporadic. Within the first five decades of the 20th century, regions that received an influx of mockingbirds were Maine, Vermont, Ohio, Iowa, and New York.<ref name="Northern Mockingbird:BNA"/> In western states such as California, the population was restricted to the Lower [[Sonoran Desert]] regions but by the 1970s the mockingbird was residential in most counties.<ref name="Northern Mockingbird:BNA"/> Islands that saw introductions of the mockingbird include Bermuda (in which it failed), [[Barbados]], [[St. Helena]], [[Socorro Island]], the [[Cayman Islands]] and [[Tahiti]].<ref name="Northern Mockingbird:BNA"/><ref name=helm02 /> |
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The Mockingbirds' breeding range is from [[Maritime Canada|Maritime provinces]] of Canada westwards to [[British Columbia]], practically the entire [[Continental United States]], and the majority of Mexico to eastern [[Oaxaca]] and [[Veracruz]].<ref name=helm02/> The Mockingbird is generally a year-round resident of its range, but the birds that live in the northern portion of its range have been noted further south during the winter season.<ref name=Smithison92/> The bird can most frequently be found in the [[Southern United States]].<ref name="University of Michigan Museum of Zoology"/> Sightings of the Mockingbird has also been recorded in [[Hawaii]] (where it was introduced),<ref name="University of Michigan Museum of Zoology"/> southeastern [[Alaska]],<ref name=TheAuk>{{cite journal|title=The AOU Check-list of North American Birds, 7th Edition:Incertae Sedis – Mimidae|journal=The Auk|year=1998|volume=7|pages=416–522|url=http://www.aou.org/checklist/north/print.php}}</ref> as well as three recorded British transatlantic vagrants, though one was certain to be an escaped bird.<ref name=Smithison92/> |
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The mockingbird's habitat varies by location, but it prefers open areas with sparse vegetation. In the eastern regions, suburban and urban areas such as parks and gardens are frequent residential areas. It has an affinity for mowed lawns with shrubs within proximity for shade and nesting.<ref name=Smithison92/><ref name="Northern Mockingbird:BNA"/> In western regions, desert scrub and chaparral are among its preferred habitats. When foraging for food, it prefers short grass.<ref name=Smithison92/> This bird does not nest in densely forested areas,<ref name=helm02/><ref name=UMNP05>{{cite book|last=Corman|first=T. E.|title=Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas|year=2005|publisher=University of New Mexico Press|location=Albuquerque|isbn=978-0-8263-3379-7|pages=444–447|author2=Wise-Gervais, C. }}</ref> and generally resides in the same habitats year round.<ref name="Northern Mockingbird:BNA"/> |
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==Behavior== |
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==Behavior== |
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===Diet=== |
===Diet=== |
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[[File:Northern Mockingbird, 5844 Clematis Dr, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA imported from iNaturalist photo 355972069.jpg|thumb|With [[crane fly]] larvae ]] |
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The northern mockingbird is an [[omnivore]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Northern Mockingbird Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology |url=https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird/lifehistory |access-date=2024-04-20 |language=en}}</ref> The birds' diet consists of [[arthropod]]s (such as spiders, grasshoppers, wasps, bees, ants, beetles, butterflies, and caterpillars), [[earthworms]], berries, fruits, seeds, and occasionally flowers, small [[crustacean]]s, and lizards (''[[Anolis]]'' spp.).<ref name=helm02/><ref name="sta.uwi.edu">{{cite web|url=https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Mimus_polyglottos%20-%20Northern%20Mockingbird.pdf|title=Mimus polyglottos (Northern Mockingbird) |website=Sta.uwi.edu|access-date=2022-03-24}}</ref><ref name="animaldiversity.org">{{Cite web|url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mimus_polyglottos/|title = Mimus polyglottos (Northern mockingbird)| website=[[Animal Diversity Web]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | doi=10.2173/bow.normoc.01 | chapter=Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) | title=Birds of the World | date=2020 | last1=Farnsworth | first1=George | last2=Londono | first2=Gustavo Adolfo | last3=Martin | first3=Judit Ungvari | last4=Derrickson | first4=K. C. | last5=Breitwisch | first5=R. | editor-first1=Alan F. | editor-last1=Poole }}</ref> Mockingbirds can drink from puddles, river and lake edges, or dew and rain droplets that amass onto plants.<ref name=Smithison92/> Adult mockingbirds also have been seen drinking sap from the cuts on recently pruned trees.<ref name=Smithison92/> Its diet heavily consists of animal prey during the breeding season, but takes a drastic shift to fruits during the fall and winter.<ref name=Smithison92/> The drive for fruits amid winter has been noted for the geographic expansion of the mockingbird, and in particular, the fruit of ''[[Rosa multiflora]]'', a favorite of the birds, is a possible link.<ref name=helm02/><ref name=Smithison92/> Mockingbirds also eat garden fruits such as tomatoes, apples, and berries (like blackberries, raspberries, other bramble fruits, holly berries, mulberries, and dogwood), as well as grapes and figs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Protecting Your Tomatoes From Mockingbirds |date=30 May 2013 |url=https://www.finegardening.com/item/13740/protecting-your-tomatoes-from-mockingbirds |publisher=Vegetable Gardener}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birdsforever.com/mockingbirds.html|title=Attracting Mockingbirds to Your Backyard Garden|publisher=Birds Forever |access-date=2023-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220154848/http://www.birdsforever.com/mockingbirds.html |archive-date=2021-02-20}}</ref><ref name="sta.uwi.edu"/><ref name="animaldiversity.org"/> |
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These birds forage on the ground or in vegetation; they also fly down from a perch to capture food.<ref name="Smithison92" /> While foraging, they frequently spread their wings in a peculiar two-step motion to display the white patches. There is disagreement among ornithologists over the purpose of this behavior, with hypotheses ranging from deceleration to intimidation of predators or prey.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Horwich|first=R.H.|title=An Ontogeny of Wing-flashing in the Mockingbird with Reference to Other Behaviors|journal=The Wilson Bulletin|year=1965|volume=77|series=3|pages=264–281|url=https://sora.unm.edu/node/128225}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Dhondt|first=André A.|author2=Kaylan M. Kemink |title=Wing-flashing in Northern mockingbirds: anti-predator defense?|journal=Journal of Ethology|year=2008|volume=26|issue=3|pages=361–365|doi=10.1007/s10164-007-0070-z|s2cid=22016620}}</ref> |
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The Northern Mockingbird is an [[omnivore]]. The also |
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birds' diet consists of [[arthropod]]s, [[earthworms]], berries, fruits, seeds, and seldom, [[lizard]]s.<ref name=helm02/> Mockingbirds can drink from puddles, river and lake edges, or dew and rain droplets that amass onto plants.<ref name=Smithison92/> Adult Mockingbirds also have been seen drinking [[sap]] from the cuts on recently pruned trees.<ref name=Smithison92/> Its diet heavily consists of animal prey during the breeding season, but takes a drastic shift to fruits during the fall and winter.<ref name=Smithison92/> The drive for fruits amid winter has been noted for the geographic expansion of the Mockingbird, and in particular, the fruit of the ''[[Rosa multiflora]]'', a favorite of the birds, is a possible link.<ref name=helm02/><ref name=Smithison92/> |
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[[File:Northern Mocking Bird Display.jpg|thumb|left|Displaying]] |
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These birds forage on the ground or in vegetation; they also fly down from a perch to capture food.<ref name=Smithison92/> While foraging, they frequently spread their wings in a peculiar two-step motion to display the white patches. There is disagreement among ornithologists over the purpose of this behavior, with hypotheses ranging from deceleration to intimidation of predators or prey.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Horwich|first=R.H.|title=An Ontogeny of Wing-flashing in the Mockingbird with Reference to Other Behaviors|journal=The Wilson Bulletin|year=1965|volume=77|series=3|pages=264–281|url=http://64.106.42.23/sora/Wilson/v077n03/p0264-p0281.pdf|accessdate=4 December 2012|format=PDF}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Dhondt|first=André A.|coauthors=Kaylan M. Kemink|title=Wing-flashing in Northern mockingbirds: anti-predator defense?|journal=Journal of Ethology|year=2008|volume=26|issue=3|pages=361–365|doi=10.1007/s10164-007-0070-z}}</ref> |
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===Breeding=== |
===Breeding=== |
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[[File:Mockingbird boundary dance (74744).webm|thumb|A boundary dance between two mockingbirds]] |
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[[File:Northern Mocking Bird Display.jpg|thumb|right|Displaying]] |
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Both the male and female of the species reach sexual maturity after 1 year of life. The breeding season occurs in the spring and early summer.<ref name="University of Michigan Museum of Zoology"/> The males arrive before the beginning of the season to establish their territories. The males use a series of courtship displays to attract the females to their sites.<ref name="University of Michigan Museum of Zoology"/> They run around the area either to showcase their territory to the females or to pursue the females. The males also engage in flight to showcase their wings.<ref name="University of Michigan Museum of Zoology"/> They sing and call as they perform all of these displays. The species is monogamous, so once the pair forms they typically mate with each other for life. The Northern Mockingbird pairs hatch about 2 to 4 broods a year.<ref name="University of Michigan Museum of Zoology"/> In one breeding season, the Northern Mockingbird lays an average of 4 eggs. They hatch after about 11 to 14 days of incubation. After about 10 to 15 days of life, the offspring become independent.<ref name="University of Michigan Museum of Zoology" /> |
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Both the male and female of the species reach sexual maturity after one year of life. The breeding season occurs in the spring and early summer.<ref name="University of Michigan Museum of Zoology"/> The males arrive before the beginning of the season to establish their territories. They may demonstrate or contest the edges of a territory using a boundary dance in which males, typically on the ground, face each other and hop side to side, sometimes fighting, until one flies away.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hailman|first=Jack P.|journal=The Condor|date=November–December 1960|volume=62|issue=6|pages=464–468|title=Hostile Dancing and Fall Territory of a Color-Banded Mockingbird|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.2307/1365593 |jstor=1365593 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1365593}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=The Gall Lab|publisher=Vassar College|url=https://pages.vassar.edu/sensoryecology/northern-mockingbird-general-biology/|title=Northern Mockingbird: Mimus Polyglottos}}</ref> The males use a series of courtship displays to attract the females to their sites.<ref name="University of Michigan Museum of Zoology"/> They run around the area either to showcase their territory to the females or to pursue the females. The males also engage in flight to showcase their wings.<ref name="University of Michigan Museum of Zoology"/> They sing and call as they perform all of these displays. The species can remain monogamous for many years, but incidents of polygyny and bigamy have been reported to occur during a single bird's lifetime.<ref name=Bigamymimid/><ref>{{cite journal|last=Breitwisch|first=Randall|author2=Ritter, Ronald C.|author3=Julia Zaias|title=Parental Behavior of a Bigamous Male Northern Mockingbird|journal=Auk|year=1986|volume=103|issue=2|pages=424–427|url=https://sora.unm.edu/node/24265|jstor=4087097}}</ref> |
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Both the male and female are involved in the nest building.<ref name=Mobley12>{{cite book|last=Mobley|first=Jason A.|title=Birds of the World|publisher=Marshall Cavendish|year=2009|pages=427|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=gccfdvSUTg4C&pg=PA427|isbn=978-0-7614-7775-4|accessdate=21 December 2012}}</ref> The male does most of the work, while the female perches on the shrub or tree where the nest is being built to watch for [[predation|predators]]. The nest is built approximately three to ten feet above the ground.<ref name=Mobley12/> The outer part of the nest is composed of twigs, while the inner part is lined with grasses, dead leaves, moss, or artificial fibers. The eggs are a light blue or greenish color and speckled with dots.<ref name="AllAboutBirds"/> The female lays three to five eggs, and she incubates them for nearly two weeks. Once the eggs are hatched, both the male and female will feed the chicks.<ref name=Mobley12/> |
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Both the male and female are involved in the nest building.<ref name=Mobley12>{{cite book|last=Mobley|first=Jason A.|title=Birds of the World|publisher=Marshall Cavendish|year=2009|pages=426–7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gccfdvSUTg4C&pg=PA427|isbn=978-0-7614-7775-4}}</ref> The male does most of the work, while the female perches on the shrub or tree where the nest is being built to watch for predators. The nest is built approximately three to ten feet above the ground.<ref name=Mobley12/> The outer part of the nest is composed of twigs, while the inner part is lined with grasses, dead leaves, moss, or artificial fibers. The eggs are a light blue or greenish color and speckled with dots.<ref name="AllAboutBirds"/> The female lays three to five eggs, and she incubates them for nearly two weeks. Once the eggs are hatched, both the male and female will feed the chicks.<ref name=Mobley12/> |
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The birds aggressively defend their nests and surrounding areas against other birds and animals.<ref name=Mobley12/> When a predator is persistent, mockingbirds that are summoned by distinct calls from neighboring territories may join the attack. Other birds may gather to watch as the mockingbirds harass the intruder. In addition to harassing domestic cats and dogs they consider a threat,<ref name="University of Michigan Museum of Zoology" /> it is not unheard of for mockingbirds to target humans. The birds are absolutely unafraid and will attack much larger birds, even hawks. One famous incident in [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]] involving a postal carrier resulted in the distribution of a warning letter to residents.<ref>{{cite news|last=Overall|first=M.|title=Wild bird warning:Mockingbird stalks mail carrier|url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=070622_238_A1_hResi87264|accessdate=3 December 2012|newspaper=Tulsa World|date=22 July 2007}}</ref> |
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The birds aggressively defend their nests and surrounding areas against other birds and animals.<ref name=Mobley12/> When a predator is persistent, mockingbirds from neighboring territories may be summoned by distinct calls to join the defense. Other birds may gather to watch as the mockingbirds drive away the intruder. In addition to harassing domestic cats and dogs that they consider a threat,<ref name="University of Michigan Museum of Zoology" /> mockingbirds will at times target humans. The birds are bold, and will attack much larger birds, even hawks. One incident in Tulsa, Oklahoma involving a postal carrier resulted in the distribution of a warning letter to residents.<ref>{{cite news|last=Overall|first=Michael|title=Wild bird warning:Mockingbird stalks mail carrier|url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/archives/wild-bird-warning-mockingbird-stalks-mail-carrier/article_364e2f7a-2292-520c-82e6-9108f1e2d814.html|access-date=25 April 2016|newspaper=Tulsa World|date=22 July 2007}}</ref> |
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===Sexual selection=== |
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Northern Mockingbirds are famous for their song repertoires. Studies have shown that males sing songs at the beginning of breeding season to attract females.<ref name=Breitwisch87>{{cite journal|last=Breitwisch|first=R.|coauthors=Whitesides, G.H.|title=Directionality of singing and non-singing behavior of mated and unmated Northern Mockingbirds, ''Mimus polyglottos''|doi=10.1016/S0003-3472(87)80256-7|journal=Animal Behaviour|year=1987|volume=35|pages=331–339|issue=2}}</ref> Unmated males sing songs in more directions and sing more bouts than mated males. In addition, unmated males perform more flight displays than mated males.<ref name=Smithison92/> The Mockingbirds usually nest several times during one breeding season.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Logan|first=C.A.|title=Reproductively dependent song cyclicity in mated male mockingbirds (''Mimus polyglottos'')|journal=Auk|url=http://sora.unm.edu/node/23827|year=1983|volume=100|pages=404–413}}</ref> Depending on the stage of breeding and the mating status, a male Mockingbird will vary his song production. The unmated male keeps close track of this change. He sings in one direction when he perceives a chance to lure a female from the nest of the mated male.<ref name=Breitwisch87/> Unmated males are also more likely to use elevated perches to extend his songs to a further range.<ref name=Breitwisch87/> Though the mockingbirds are [[Monogamy|socially monogamous]], mated males have been known to sing to attract additional mates.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Derrickson|first=Kim C.|title=Bigamy In Northern Mockingbirds: Circumventing Female-Female Aggression'|journal=The Condor|year=1989|volume=91|pages=728–732|url=http://si-pddr.si.edu/dspace/bitstream/10088/6144/1/DerricksonK1989.pdf|doi=10.2307/1368130|issue=3}}</ref> |
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The northern mockingbird pairs hatch about two to four broods a year. In one breeding attempt, the northern mockingbird lays an average of four eggs.<ref name="University of Michigan Museum of Zoology"/> They are pale blue or greenish white with red or brown blotches, and measure about {{convert|25|by|18|mm|in}}. They hatch after about 11 to 14 days of incubation by the female.<ref name="Hauber2014">{{cite book|last=Hauber|first=Mark E.|title=The Book of Eggs: A Life-Size Guide to the Eggs of Six Hundred of the World's Bird Species|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=evQvBAAAQBAJ|date= 2014|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago|isbn=978-0-226-05781-1|page=506}}</ref> After about 10 to 15 days of life, the offspring become independent.<ref name="University of Michigan Museum of Zoology" /> |
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An observational study by Logan demonstrates that the female is continuously evaluating the quality of the male and his territory.<ref name=Logan97>{{cite journal|last=Logan|first=C.A.|title=Mate-reassessment in an Already-mated Female Northern Mockingbird|journal=The Chat|year=1997|volume=61|series=2|pages=108–112}}</ref> The assessment is usually triggered by the arrival of a new male in a neighboring territory at the beginning of a new breeding season. In those cases, the mated female is constantly seen flying over both the original and the new male’s territory, evaluating the qualities of both territories and exchanging calls with both males.<ref name=Logan97/> The social mate displays aggressive behaviors towards the female, while the new male shows less aggression and sings softer songs.<ref name=Logan97/> At the same time, both the mated male and the new male will fly over other territories to attract other females as well. Divorce, mate switching and [[promiscuity|extra-pair matings]] do occur in Northern Mockingbirds.<ref name=Smithison92/><ref name=Logan97/> |
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====Sexual selection==== |
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[[File:Northern Mockingbird in Texas.jpg|thumb|Adult mockingbirds have solid pale grey or buff breasts, juveniles mottled.]] |
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Northern Mockingbirds adjust the sex ratio of their offspring according to the food availability and population density. Male offspring usually require more parental investment. There is therefore a bias for bearing the costlier sex at the beginning of a breeding season when the food is abundant.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Schrand|first=B.E.|coauthors=Stobart, C.C.; Engle, D.B.; Desjardins, R.B.; Farnsworth, G.L.|title=Nestling Sex Ratios in Two Populations of Northern Mockingbirds|journal=Southeastern Naturalist|year=2011|volume=10|series=2|pages=365–370|doi=10.1656/058.010.0215|issue=2}}</ref> Local resource competition predicts that the parents have to share the resources with offspring that remain at the natal site after maturation. In [[passerine]] birds, like the Northern Mockingbird, females are more likely to disperse than males.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Clarke|first=A.L.|coauthors=Saether, B.E.; Roskaft, E.|title=Sex biases in avian dispersal: A reappraisal|journal=Oikos|year=1997|volume=79|pages=429–438|doi=10.2307/3546885|issue=3}}</ref> Hence, it is adaptive to produce more dispersive sex than [[Philopatry|philopatric]] sex when the population density is high and the competition for local resources is intense. Since Northern Mockingbirds are abundant in urban environments. It is possible that the pollution and contamination in cities might affect [[sex steroid|sexual hormones]] and therefore play a role in offspring [[sex ratio]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Erikstad|first=K.E.|coauthors=Bustnes, J.O.; Lorentsen, S.; Reiertsen, T.K.|title=Sex ratio in Lesser Black-backed Gull in relation to environmental pollutants|doi=10.1007/s00265-009-0736-3|url=http://www.seapop.no/opencms/export/sites/SEAPOP/no/files/publications/Erikstad_et_al_2009x_bb_gull.pdf|journal=Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology|year=2009|volume=63|pages=931–938|issue=6}}</ref> |
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Northern mockingbirds are famous for their song repertoires. Studies have shown that males sing songs at the beginning of breeding season to attract females.<ref name=Breitwisch87>{{cite journal|last=Breitwisch|first=R.|author2=Whitesides, G.H. |title=Directionality of singing and non-singing behavior of mated and unmated Northern Mockingbirds, ''Mimus polyglottos''|doi=10.1016/S0003-3472(87)80256-7|journal=Animal Behaviour|year=1987|volume=35|pages=331–339|issue=2|s2cid=53198013}}</ref> Unmated males sing songs in more directions and sing more bouts than mated males. In addition, unmated males perform more flight displays than mated males.<ref name=Smithison92/> The mockingbirds usually nest several times during one breeding season.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Logan|first=C.A.|title=Reproductively dependent song cyclicity in mated male mockingbirds (''Mimus polyglottos'')|journal=Auk|url=http://sora.unm.edu/node/23827|year=1983|volume=100|issue=2|pages=404–413|doi=10.1093/auk/100.2.404|jstor=4086535}}</ref> Depending on the stage of breeding and the mating status, a male mockingbird will vary his song production. The unmated male keeps close track of this change. He sings in one direction when he perceives a chance to lure a female from the nest of the mated male.<ref name=Breitwisch87/> Unmated males are also more likely to use elevated perches to make their songs audible farther away.<ref name=Breitwisch87/> Though the mockingbirds are [[Monogamy in animals|socially monogamous]], mated males have been known to sing to attract additional mates.<ref name=Bigamymimid>{{cite journal|last=Derrickson|first=Kim C.|title=Bigamy In Northern Mockingbirds: Circumventing Female-Female Aggression'|journal=The Condor|year=1989|volume=91|pages=728–732|url=http://si-pddr.si.edu/dspace/bitstream/10088/6144/1/DerricksonK1989.pdf|doi=10.2307/1368130|issue=3|jstor=1368130|access-date=2013-01-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110210214/http://si-pddr.si.edu/dspace/bitstream/10088/6144/1/DerricksonK1989.pdf|archive-date=2013-11-10|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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===Mating=== |
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Northern Mockingbirds are socially [[monogamous]]. The two sexes look alike except that males are a little larger in size than females. Mutual [[mate choice]] is exhibited in Northern Mockingbirds.<ref name="defense">{{cite journal|last=Breitwisch|first=R.|title=Sex differences in defense of eggs and nestlings by Northern Mockingbirds, ''Mimus polyglottos''|journal=Animal Behaviour|year=1988|volume=36|pages=62–72|doi=10.1016/S0003-3472(88)80250-1}}</ref> Both males and females prefer mates that are more aggressive towards intruders, and so exhibit greater [[parental investment]]. However, males are more defensive of their nests than females. In a population where male breeding adults outnumber females breeding adults, females have more freedom in choosing their mates.<ref name="defense"/> In these cases, these female breeders have the option of changing mates within a breeding season if the first male does not provide a high level of parental care, which includes feeding and nest defense.<ref name="Investment">{{cite journal|last=Breitwisch|first=R.|title=Parental Investment by the Northern Mockingbird: Male and Female Roles in Feeding Nestlings|journal=The Auk|year=1986|volume=103|pages=152–159|url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v103n01/p0152-p0159.pdf}}</ref> High nesting success is associated with highly aggressive males attacking intruders in the territory, and so these males are preferred by females.<ref name="Investment"/> |
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An observational study by Logan demonstrates that the female is continuously evaluating the quality of the male and his territory.<ref name=Logan97>{{cite journal|last=Logan|first=C.A.|title=Mate-reassessment in an Already-mated Female Northern Mockingbird|journal=The Chat|url=https://www.carolinabirdclub.org/chat/issues/1997/v61n2nomo.pdf|year=1997|volume=61|series=2|pages=108–112}}</ref> The assessment is usually triggered by the arrival of a new male in a neighboring territory at the beginning of a new breeding season. In those cases, the mated female is constantly seen flying over both the original and the new male's territory, evaluating the qualities of both territories and exchanging calls with both males.<ref name=Logan97/> The social mate displays aggressive behaviors towards the female, while the new male shows less aggression and sings softer songs.<ref name=Logan97/> At the same time, both the mated male and the new male will fly over other territories to attract other females as well. Separation, mate switching and [[extra-pair matings]] do occur in northern mockingbirds.<ref name=Smithison92/><ref name=Logan97/> |
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===Parental care=== |
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Northern Mockingbirds are [[altricial]], meaning that, when hatched, they are born relatively immobile and defenseless and therefore require nourishment for a certain duration from their parents. The young have a survival bottleneck at the nestling stage because there are higher levels of nestling predation than egg predation. The levels of belligerence exhibited by parents therefore increase once eggs hatch but there is no increase during the egg stage.<ref name="defense"/> |
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[[File:Mocking Bird eggs.JPG|right|thumb|Eggs in a nest]] |
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A recent study shows that both food availability and temperature affect the parental [[Avian incubation|incubation]] of the eggs in Northern Mockingbirds. Increasing food availability provides the females with more time to care for the nest and perform self-maintenance. Increasing temperature, however, reduces the time the females spend at the nest and there is increased energy cost to cool the eggs. The incubation behavior is a trade-off among various environmental factors.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Londoño|first=G.A.|coauthors=Levey, D.J.; Robinson, S.K.|title=Effects of temperature and food on incubation behavior of the northern mocking bird, Mimus polyglottos|journal=Animal Behaviour|year=2008|volume=76|pages=669–677|doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.05.002|issue=3}}</ref> |
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====Sex allocation==== |
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Mockingbird nests are also often parasitized by cowbirds. The parents are found to reject [[Brood parasite|parasitic eggs]] at an intermediate rate.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Peer|first=B.D.|coauthors=Ellison, K.S.; Sealy, S.G.|title=Intermediate frequencies of egg ejection by Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) sympatric with two cowbird species|journal=The Auk|year=2002|jstor=4089988|volume=119|series=3|pages=855–858}}</ref> A recent study has shown that foreign eggs are more likely to be rejected from a nest later in the breeding season than from earlier in a breeding season. Early nesting hosts may not have learned the pattern and coloration of their first clutch yet, so are less likely to reject foreign eggs. There is also a seasonal threshold in terms of the overlap between the breeding seasons of the Northern Mockingbirds and their parasites. If the breeding season of the parasites starts later, there is less likelihood of parasitism. Hence, it pays the hosts to have relatively lower sensitivity to parasitic eggs.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Quinn|first=J.|coauthors=Tolson, K.M.|title=Proximate mechanisms of parasite egg rejection by northern mockingbirds|doi=10.1676/08-015.1|journal=The Wilson Journal of Ornithology|year=2009|volume=121|series=1|pages=180–183}}</ref> |
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Northern mockingbirds adjust the sex ratio of their offspring according to the food availability and population density. Male offspring usually require more parental investment. There is therefore a bias for bearing the costlier sex at the beginning of a breeding season when the food is abundant.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Schrand|first=B.E.|author2=Stobart, C.C. |author3=Engle, D.B. |author4=Desjardins, R.B. |author5= Farnsworth, G.L. |title=Nestling Sex Ratios in Two Populations of Northern Mockingbirds|journal=Southeastern Naturalist|year=2011|volume=10|series=2|pages=365–370|doi=10.1656/058.010.0215|issue=2|s2cid=85983149}}</ref> Local resource competition predicts that the parents have to share the resources with offspring that remain at the natal site after maturation. In [[passerine]] birds, like the northern mockingbird, females are more likely to disperse than males.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Clarke|first=A.L.|author2=Saether, B.E. |author3=Roskaft, E. |title=Sex biases in avian dispersal: A reappraisal|journal=Oikos|year=1997|volume=79|pages=429–438|doi=10.2307/3546885|issue=3|jstor=3546885|bibcode=1997Oikos..79..429C }}</ref> Hence, it is adaptive to produce more dispersive sex than [[philopatric]] sex when the population density is high and the competition for local resources is intense. Since northern mockingbirds are abundant in urban environments, it is possible that the pollution and contamination in cities might affect [[sex steroid|sexual hormones]] and therefore play a role in offspring [[sex ratio]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Erikstad|first=K.E.|author2=Bustnes, J.O.|author3=Lorentsen, S.|author4=Reiertsen, T.K.|title=Sex ratio in Lesser Black-backed Gull in relation to environmental pollutants|doi=10.1007/s00265-009-0736-3|url=http://www.seapop.no/opencms/export/sites/SEAPOP/no/files/publications/Erikstad_et_al_2009x_bb_gull.pdf|journal=Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology|year=2009|volume=63|pages=931–938|issue=6|bibcode=2009BEcoS..63..931E |s2cid=8976406|access-date=2013-02-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714235739/http://www.seapop.no/opencms/export/sites/SEAPOP/no/files/publications/Erikstad_et_al_2009x_bb_gull.pdf|archive-date=2014-07-14|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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====Mating==== |
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Northern mockingbirds are socially [[Monogamy in animals|monogamous]]. The sexes look alike except that the male is slightly larger than the female. Mutual [[mate choice]] is exhibited in northern mockingbirds.<ref name="defense">{{cite journal|last=Breitwisch|first=R.|title=Sex differences in defense of eggs and nestlings by Northern Mockingbirds, ''Mimus polyglottos''|journal=Animal Behaviour|year=1988|volume=36|pages=62–72|doi=10.1016/S0003-3472(88)80250-1|s2cid=53202943}}</ref> Both males and females prefer mates that are more aggressive towards intruders, and so exhibit greater [[parental investment]]. However, males are more defensive of their nests than females. In a population where male breeding adults outnumber female breeding adults, females have more freedom in choosing their mates.<ref name="defense"/> In these cases, these female breeders have the option of changing mates within a breeding season if the first male does not provide a high level of parental care, which includes feeding and nest defense.<ref name="Investment">{{cite journal|last=Breitwisch|first=R.|title=Parental Investment by the Northern Mockingbird: Male and Female Roles in Feeding Nestlings|journal=The Auk|year=1986|volume=103|issue=1|pages=152–159|doi=10.1093/auk/103.1.152|jstor=4086973|url=https://sora.unm.edu/node/24217}}</ref> High nesting success is associated with highly aggressive males attacking intruders in the territory, and so these males are preferred by females.<ref name="Investment"/> |
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====Parental care==== |
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Northern mockingbirds are [[altricial]], meaning that, when hatched, they are born relatively immobile and defenseless and therefore require nourishment for a certain duration from their parents. The young have a survival bottleneck at the nestling stage because there are higher levels of nestling predation than [[egg predation]]. The levels of belligerence exhibited by parents therefore increase once eggs hatch but there is no increase during the egg stage.<ref name="defense"/> |
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A recent study shows that both food availability and temperature affect the parental [[Avian incubation|incubation]] of the eggs in northern mockingbirds. Increasing food availability provides the females with more time to care for the nest and perform self-maintenance. Increasing temperature, however, reduces the time the females spend at the nest and there is increased energy cost to cool the eggs. The incubation behavior is a trade-off among various environmental factors.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Londoño|first=G.A.|author2=Levey, D.J. |author3=Robinson, S.K. |title=Effects of temperature and food on incubation behavior of the northern mocking bird, Mimus polyglottos|journal=Animal Behaviour|year=2008|volume=76|pages=669–677|doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.05.002|issue=3|s2cid=54355652}}</ref> |
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Mockingbird nests are also often parasitized by [[cowbird]]s.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024|reason=Contradicted by Peer et al. (cited in next sentence) and Ehrlich, Dobkin & Wheye (print)}} The parents are found to reject [[Brood parasite|parasitic eggs]] at an intermediate rate.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Peer|first=B.D.|author2=Ellison, K.S. |author3=Sealy, S.G. |title=Intermediate frequencies of egg ejection by Northern Mockingbirds (''Mimus polyglottos'') sympatric with two cowbird species|journal=The Auk|year=2002|jstor=4089988|volume=119|issue=3|series=3|pages=855–858|doi=10.1642/0004-8038(2002)119[0855:IFOEEB]2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=85905220 }}</ref> A recent study has shown that foreign eggs are more likely to be rejected from a nest later in the breeding season than from earlier in a breeding season. Early nesting hosts may not have learned the pattern and coloration of their first clutch yet, so are less likely to reject foreign eggs. There is also a seasonal threshold in terms of the overlap between the breeding seasons of the northern mockingbirds and their parasites. If the breeding season of the parasites starts later, there is less likelihood of parasitism. Hence, it pays the hosts to have relatively lower sensitivity to parasitic eggs.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Quinn|first=J.|author2=Tolson, K.M. |title=Proximate mechanisms of parasite egg rejection by northern mockingbirds|doi=10.1676/08-015.1|journal=The Wilson Journal of Ornithology|year=2009|volume=121|series=1|pages=180–183|s2cid=86395217}}</ref> |
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<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px"> |
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File:NOMO feeding.webm|An adult northern mockingbird feeding berries to a fledgling |
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File:Mimus polyglottos MWNH 1851.JPG|Egg, Collection [[Museum Wiesbaden]] |
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File:Mocking Bird eggs.JPG|Eggs in a nest |
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</gallery> |
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====Ontogeny==== |
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A laboratory observation of 38 mockingbird nestlings and fledglings (thirty-five and three, respectively) recorded the [[ontogeny|behavioral development]] of young mockingbirds. Notable milestones, including the eyes opening, soft vocalizations, begging, and preening, began within the first six days of life. Variation in begging and more compact movements such as perching, fear crouching, and stretching appeared by the ninth day. Wing-flashing, bathing, flight, and leaving the nest happened within seventeen days (nest leaving occurred within 11 to 13 days). Improvements of flight, walking and self-feeding took place within forty days. Agonistic behavior increased during the juvenile stages, to the extent that one of two siblings living in the same area was likely killed by the other.<ref name=Horwich>{{cite journal|last=Horwich|first=Robert H.|title=Behavioral Ontogeny of the Mockingbird|journal=The Wilson Bulletin|year=1969|volume=81|issue=1|pages=87–93|doi=10.2307/415980|jstor=415980|url=https://sora.unm.edu/node/128546}}</ref> |
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===Song and calls=== |
===Song and calls=== |
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[[File:Mimus polyglottos.ogg|thumb|Songs and calls]] |
[[File:Mimus polyglottos.ogg|thumb|Songs and calls]] |
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[[File: |
[[File:Mockingbird Spring.ogv|thumb|right|Calling during spring]] |
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[[File:Mockingbird Spring.ogv|thumb|left|Calling during [[spring (season)|spring]].]] |
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Although many species of bird imitate other birds, the Northern Mockingbird is the best known in North America for doing so. It imitates not only birds but, it also imitates other animals and mechanical sounds such as car alarms. As convincing as these imitations may be to humans, they often fail to fool other birds, such as the [[Florida Scrub-Jay]].<ref name=JSTOR/> |
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Although many species of bird imitate the vocalizations of other birds, the northern mockingbird is the species best known in North America for doing so. Among the vocalizations it imitates are songs of the [[Carolina wren]], [[northern cardinal]], [[tufted titmouse]], [[eastern towhee]], [[house sparrow]], [[wood thrush]], and [[eastern bluebird]], calls of the [[northern flicker]] and [[great crested flycatcher]], ''jeers'' and ''pumphandles'' of the [[blue jay]], and alarms, ''chups'', and ''chirrs'' of the [[American robin]].<ref name=Behaviour/><ref name=JFO>{{cite journal|last=Gammon|first=David E.|author2=Altizer, Carly E.|title=Northern Mockingbirds produce syntactical patterns of vocal mimicry that reflect taxonomy of imitated species|jstor=23011224|journal=Journal of Field Ornithology|year=2011|volume=82|issue=2|pages=158–164|doi=10.1111/j.1557-9263.2011.00318.x|doi-access=free}}</ref> It imitates not only birds, but also other animals such as [[cat]]s, dogs, frogs, and [[cricket (insect)|cricket]]s and sounds from artificial items such as unoiled wheels and even car alarms. As convincing as these imitations may be to humans, they often fail to fool other birds, such as the [[Florida scrub jay]].<ref name=JSTOR/> |
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The Northern Mockingbird's [[mimicry]] is likely to serve as a form of [[sexual selection]] through which competition between males and female choice influence a bird's song repertoire size.<ref name=JSTOR>{{cite journal|last=Owen-Ashley|first=N. T.|coauthors=Schoech, S. J.; Mumme, R. L.|title=Context-specific response of Florida scrub-jay pairs to Northern Mockingbird vocal mimicry|journal=The Condor|year=2002|volume=104|issue=4|pages=858–865|doi=10.2307/1370710}}</ref> |
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The northern mockingbird's [[mimicry]] is likely to serve as a form of [[sexual selection]] through which competition between males and female choice influence a bird's song repertoire size.<ref name=JSTOR>{{cite journal|last=Owen-Ashley|first=N. T.|author2=Schoech, S. J. |author3=Mumme, R. L. |title=Context-specific response of Florida scrub-jay pairs to Northern Mockingbird vocal mimicry|journal=The Condor|year=2002|volume=104|issue=4|pages=858–865|jstor=1370710|doi=10.1650/0010-5422(2002)104[0858:CSROFS]2.0.CO;2|s2cid=85635349 |doi-access=free}}</ref> A 2013 study attempted to determine model selection in vocal mimics, and the data suggested that mimicry in the mockingbird resulted from the bird being genetically predisposed to learning vocalizations with acoustic characteristics such as an enlarged auditory template.<ref name=Behaviour>{{cite journal|last=Gammon|first=David E.|title=How is model selection determined in a vocal mimic?: Tests of five hypotheses |journal=Behaviour|year=2013|volume=150|issue=12|pages=1375–1397|doi=10.1163/1568539X-00003101}}</ref> |
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There are four recognized calls for the Mockingbird: the ''nest relief call'', ''hew call'', ''chat or chatburst'', and the ''[[Begging behavior in animals|begging call]]''.<ref name=Smithison92/> The Hew call is mainly used by both sexes for potential nest predators, conspecific chasing, and various interactions between mates. The differences between ''chats'' and ''chatbursts'' are frequency of use, as chats are year-round, and chatbursts occur in the fall.<ref name=Smithison92/> Another difference is that ''chatbursts'' appear to be used in territorial defense in the fall, and the ''chats'' are used by either sex when disturbed.<ref name=Smithison92/> The ''nest relief'' and ''begging calls'' are only used by the males.<ref name=Smithison92/> |
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Both male and female mockingbirds sing, with the latter being generally quieter and less vocal. Male commencement of singing is in late January to February and continues into the summer and the establishing of territory into the fall. Frequency in female singing is more sporadic, as it sings less often in the summer and fall, and only sings when the male is away from the territory.<ref name=Smithison92/> The mockingbird also possesses a large song repertoire that ranges from 43 to 203 song types and the size varies by region. Repertoire sizes ranged from 14 to 150 types in Texas, and two studies of mockingbirds in Florida rounded estimates to 134 and 200, approximately.<ref name=Smithison92/> It continually expands its repertoire during its life,<ref name=Smithison92/> though it pales in comparison to mimids such as the [[brown thrasher]].<ref name=Eastman>{{cite book|last=Eastman|first=John|title=Birds Nearby: Getting to Know 45 Common Species of Eastern North America|publisher=Stackpole Books|year=2015|pages=35|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9SvaBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA35|isbn=9780811714846}}</ref> |
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There are four recognized calls for the mockingbird: the ''nest relief call'', ''hew call'', ''chat or chatburst'', and the ''[[Begging behavior in animals|begging call]]''.<ref name=Smithison92/> The ''hew'' call is mainly used by both sexes for potential nest predators, conspecific chasing, and various interactions between mates. One difference between ''chats'' and ''chatbursts'' is frequency of use, as ''chats'' are year-round and ''chatbursts'' occur in the fall.<ref name="Smithison92" /> Another difference is that ''chatbursts'' appear to be used in territorial defense in the fall and ''chats'' are used by either sex when disturbed.<ref name="Smithison92" /> The ''nest relief'' and ''begging calls'' are only used by the males.<ref name=Smithison92/> |
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==Predation and threats== |
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[[File:RTH-and-Mock-Chase-Wiki.jpg|thumb|right|Riding a [[red-tailed hawk]]]] |
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Adult mockingbirds can fall victim to birds of prey such as the [[great horned owl]], [[screech owl]] and [[sharp-shinned hawk]], though their tenacious behavior makes them less likely to be captured. [[Aphelocoma|Scrub jays]] also have killed and eaten mockingbirds. Snakes rarely capture incubating females. Fledglings have been prey to domestic cats, [[red-tailed hawk]]s, and crows. Eggs and nestlings are consumed by blue jays, [[fish crow]]s, American crows, red-tailed hawks, [[swallow-tailed kite]]s, snakes, squirrels, and cats. [[Calliphoridae|Blowfly]] larvae and ''[[Haemoproteus]]'' have been found in Florida and Arizona populations, respectively.<ref name="Northern Mockingbird:BNA">{{cite web|url=http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/007/articles/introduction|title=The Birds of North America Online: Northern Mockingbird}}</ref> |
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Winter storms limit the expansion of mockingbirds in their range. The storms have played a role in the declining of the populations in [[Ohio]] (where it has since recovered), Michigan, Minnesota and likely in Quebec. Dry seasons also affect the mockingbird populations in Arizona.<ref name="Northern Mockingbird:BNA"/> |
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==Intelligence== |
==Intelligence== |
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In a paper published in 2009, researchers found that mockingbirds were able to recall an individual human who, earlier in the study, had approached and threatened the mockingbirds' nest. |
In a paper published in 2009, researchers found that mockingbirds were able to recall an individual human who, earlier in the study, had approached and threatened the mockingbirds' nest. Researchers had one participant stand near a mockingbird nest and touch it, while others avoided the nest. Later, the mockingbirds recognized the intruder and exhibited defensive behavior, while ignoring the other individuals.<ref name="Levey">{{cite journal|last=Levey|first=D.J.|author2=Londoño, G. A. |author3=Ungvari-Martin, J. |author4=Hiersoux, M.R. |author5=Jankowski, J.E. |author6=Poulsen, J.R. |author7=Stracy, C.M. |author8= Robison, S.K. |title=Urban mockingbirds quickly learn to identify individual humans|doi=10.1073/pnas.0811422106|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|year=2009|volume=106|series=22|pages=8959–8962|issue=22 |pmid=19451622 |pmc=2690012|bibcode=2009PNAS..106.8959L|doi-access=free}}</ref> A similar paper published in 2023 had several participants exhibit varying levels of threatening behavior towards nesting mockingbirds. During a three-day training period, "high threat" participants were instructed to touch the nest daily while accompanied by a "medium threat" participant who stood three meters away. "Low threat" participants approached the nest separately and also stood three meters away for 10 minutes. When flushed from their nests by participants during a testing period, the mockingbirds retreated further from individuals who had exhibited more threatening behavior during the training period.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Levey |first1=Douglas J. |last2=Poulsen |first2=John R. |last3=Schaeffer |first3=Andrew P. |last4=Deochand |first4=Michelle E. |last5=Oswald |first5=Jessica A. |last6=Robinson |first6=Scott K. |last7=Londoño |first7=Gustavo A. |date=2023-06-24 |title=Wild mockingbirds distinguish among familiar humans |journal=Scientific Reports |language=en |volume=13 |issue=1 |page=10259 |doi=10.1038/s41598-023-36225-x |issn=2045-2322 |pmc=10290633 |pmid=37355713|bibcode=2023NatSR..1310259L }}</ref> |
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===Adaptation to urban habitats=== |
===Adaptation to urban habitats=== |
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[[File:2008-07-24 100 percent tobacco free.jpg|thumb| |
[[File:2008-07-24 100 percent tobacco free.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A northern mockingbird on top of a [[Duke University Hospital]] sign reading "Duke medicine is 100% tobacco-free INSIDE AND OUTSIDE" in [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]], North Carolina|In the urban habitat at [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]], North Carolina]] |
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Northern Mockingbird is a species that is found in both urban and rural habitats. There are now more Northern Mockingbirds living in urban habitats than non-urban environments, so they are consequently known as an urban-positive species.<ref name=Stracy12>{{cite journal|last=Stracy|first=C.M.|coauthors=Robinson, S.K.|title=Are urban habitats ecological traps for a native songbird? Season-long productivity, apparent survival, and site fidelity in urban and rural habitats|journal=Journal of Avian Biology|year=2012|volume=43|pages=50–60|doi=10.1111/j.1600-048X.2011.05520.x}}</ref> Biologists have long questioned how Northern Mockingbirds adapt to a novel environment in cities, and whether they fall into the typical [[ecological trap]]s that are common for urban-dwelling birds.<ref name=Stracy12/> A comparative study between an urban dwelling population and a rural dwelling one shows that the apparent survival is higher for individuals in the urban habitats. Lower food availability and travel costs may account for the higher mortality rate in rural habitats.<ref name=Chamberlain09>{{cite journal|last=Chamberlain|first=D.E.|coauthors=Cannon, A.R.; Toms, M.P.; Leech, D.I.; Hatchwell, B.J.; Gaston, K.J.|title=Avian productivity in urban landscape: a review and meta-analysis|doi= 10.1111/j.1474-919X.2008.00899.x|journal=Ibis|year=2009|volume=151|pages=1–18}}</ref> Urban birds are more likely to return to the nest where they had successfully bred the previous year and avoid those where breeding success was low. One explanation for this phenomenon is that urban environments are more predictable than non-urban ones, as the site fidelity among urban birds prevents them from ecological traps.<ref name=Chamberlain09/> |
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The northern mockingbird is a species that is found in both urban and rural habitats. There are now more northern mockingbirds living in urban habitats than non-urban environments, so they are consequently known as an urban-positive species.<ref name=Stracy12>{{cite journal|last=Stracy|first=C.M.|author2=Robinson, S.K. |title=Are urban habitats ecological traps for a native songbird? Season-long productivity, apparent survival, and site fidelity in urban and rural habitats|journal=Journal of Avian Biology|year=2012|volume=43|pages=50–60|doi=10.1111/j.1600-048X.2011.05520.x}}</ref> Biologists have long questioned how northern mockingbirds adapt to a novel environment in cities, and whether they fall into the typical [[ecological trap]]s that are common for urban-dwelling birds.<ref name=Stracy12/> A comparative study between an urban dwelling population and a rural dwelling one shows that the apparent survival is higher for individuals in the urban habitats. Lower food availability and travel costs may account for the higher mortality rate in rural habitats.<ref name=Chamberlain09>{{cite journal|last=Chamberlain|first=D.E.|author2=Cannon, A.R. |author3=Toms, M.P. |author4=Leech, D.I. |author5=Hatchwell, B.J. |author6= Gaston, K.J. |title=Avian productivity in urban landscape: a review and meta-analysis|doi= 10.1111/j.1474-919X.2008.00899.x|journal=Ibis|year=2009|volume=151|pages=1–18|hdl=2318/124251|url=https://iris.unito.it/bitstream/2318/124251/1/Chamberlain%20et%20al%2009%20Ibis.pdf|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Urban birds are more likely to return to the nest where they had successfully bred the previous year and avoid those where breeding success was low. One explanation for this phenomenon is that urban environments are more predictable than non-urban ones, as the site fidelity among urban birds prevents them from falling into ecological traps.<ref name=Chamberlain09/> Mockingbirds are also able to utilize [[artificial lighting]] in order to feed nestlings in urban areas such as residential neighborhoods into the night, in contrast to those that do not nest near those areas.<ref name=Stracey14>{{cite journal|last=Stracey|first=Christine M.|author2=Wynn, Brady|author3=Robinson, Scott K.|title=Light Pollution Allows the Northern Mockingbird (''Mimus polyglottos'') to Feed Nestlings After Dark|doi=10.1676/13-107.1|journal=Wilson Journal of Ornithology|year=2014|volume=126|issue=2|pages=366–9|s2cid=84927782}}</ref> The adaptation of the mockingbird in urban habitats has led it to become more susceptible to lead poisoning in [[Baltimore]] and Washington, D.C. populations.<ref name="Northern Mockingbird:BNA"/> |
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==In culture== |
==In culture== |
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[[File:Mocking Bird (Audubon).jpg|thumb| |
[[File:Mocking Bird (Audubon).jpg|thumb|upright|Painting by [[John James Audubon]]]] |
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This bird features in the title and central metaphor of the 1960 novel ''[[To Kill a Mockingbird]]'', by [[Harper Lee]]. In that novel, mockingbirds are portrayed as innocent and generous, and two of the major characters, Atticus Finch and Miss Maudie, say it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because "they don't do one thing for us but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in [[Corn crib|corncribs]], they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us."<ref>{{cite book | last = Lee | first = H. | year = 1960 | title = To Kill a Mockingbird | edition = 50th Anniversary (2010) | publisher = HarperCollins | page = [https://archive.org/details/unset0000unse_u3j3/page/148 148] | isbn = 978-0-06-174352-8 | url = https://archive.org/details/unset0000unse_u3j3/page/148 }}</ref> |
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''[[The Hunger Games]]'' franchise depicts "mockingjays," mockingbirds hybridized with jabberjays, [[genetically engineered]] birds which could memorize and repeat entire human conversations. These birds appear throughout the series as a rebellious symbol.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.nwf.org/2012/03/is-the-mockingjay-from-the-hunger-games-real/|title=Is the Mockingjay from The Hunger Games Real?|author=Brigida, Danielle |publisher=National Wildlife Federation|date=March 16, 2012|access-date=October 11, 2023}}</ref> |
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The Northern Mockingbird also shows up in a classic American folk song, "[[Listen to the Mocking Bird]]".<ref>{{cite book | last = Herder | first = Ronald | year = 1997 | title = 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics | publisher = Dover Publications | page = 195 | isbn = 048629725X|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=nihSxGm-rjsC&pg=PA195}}</ref> |
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The traditional lullaby "[[Hush Little Baby]]"<ref>Poetry Foundation, Sourced from "The Dorling Kindersley Book of Nursery Rhymes" (2000), online at https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46950/hush-little-baby-dont-say-a-word</ref> has a line that goes "Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird". |
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[[Thomas Jefferson]], the third [[President of the United States]], had a pet mockingbird named "Dick."<ref>[http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/history/life/statediningroom.html Life in the White House]: Life in the State Dining Room from Whitehouse.Gov Accessed April 10, 2008</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Bernstein | first = R. B. | year = 2005 | title = Thomas Jefferson | publisher = Oxford University Press | page = 140 | isbn = 0-19-518130-1 | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=4vrD1WKLicwC&pg=PA140 | accessdate = 2011-01-22}}</ref> |
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The song of the northern mockingbird inspired many American folk songs of the mid-19th century, such as "[[Listen to the Mocking Bird]]".<ref>{{cite book | last = Herder | first = Ronald | year = 1997 | title = 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics | publisher = Dover Publications | page = 195 | isbn = 978-0486297255|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nihSxGm-rjsC&pg=PA195}}</ref> |
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[[Hip hop music]] artist [[Eminem]] recorded a song titled "[[Mockingbird (Eminem song)|Mockingbird]]", based on the traditional lullaby called "[[Hush, Little Baby]]" which includes the lyric "Momma's gonna buy you a mockingbird." |
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[[Thomas Jefferson]] had several pet mockingbirds, including a bird named [[Dick the Mockingbird|"Dick"]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/history/life/statediningroom.html|title=Inside the State Dining Room-History & Tours|website=Georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov|access-date=2022-03-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Bernstein | first = R. B. | year = 2005 | title = Thomas Jefferson | publisher = Oxford University Press | page = 140 | isbn = 978-0-19-518130-2 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=4vrD1WKLicwC&pg=PA140}}</ref> |
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In the fictional [[Neighborhood of Make-Believe]] on ''[[Mister Rogers' Neighborhood]]'', one of King Friday's "pets" is a wooden northern mockingbird on a stick, which he refers to by the scientific name ''Mimus polyglottos''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pbskids.org/rogers/nonflash/all_ages/a16.htm|website=PBS Kids - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood|title=PBS Kids - Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: answer 16|access-date=2018-03-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bilsker|first1=Richard|title=A Different Voice|journal=Revisiting Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: Essays on Lessons About Self and Community|date=2016|page=110|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lbKaCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT110|isbn=9780786472963}}</ref> |
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In 1951, [[Patti Page]], a popular vocalist, recorded "[[Mockin' Bird Hill]]", which was sold in 10" 78 RPM format. The song reached #2 on ''Billboard''{{'}}s pop music chart and reflected gentle postwar values of the period. |
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==State bird== |
==State bird== |
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The northern mockingbird is the [[List of U.S. state birds|state bird]] of [[Arkansas]],<ref>{{citation |title= Official state bird |last= Spurgeon |first= John |date= March 8, 2018 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |publisher= Central Arkansas Library System |url= https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/official-state-bird-3137/ |access-date= May 29, 2019 }}</ref> Florida,<ref>{{citation |title=Florida State Symbols:State Bird |publisher= Florida Department of State |url=https://dos.myflorida.com/florida-facts/florida-state-symbols/state-bird/ |access-date= May 29, 2019 }}</ref> [[Mississippi]],<ref>{{citation |title= State Symbols |publisher= MS.gov | url=https://www.sos.ms.gov/content/documents/ed_pubs/pubs/MS%20Symbol%20Sheet%20New%20Seal%202015.pdf|access-date= May 29, 2019 }}</ref> [[Tennessee]],<ref>{{citation |title= State Birds |publisher= Tennessee Secretary of State |url= https://sos.tn.gov/products/state-birds |access-date= May 29, 2019 }}</ref> and [[Texas]],<ref>{{citation |title= Northern mockingbird |first= Kent |last= Rylander |work=[[Handbook of Texas]] |url= http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/tbn01 |access-date= March 13, 2010}}</ref> and previously the state bird of [[South Carolina]].<ref>{{citation |title= Animals & other living things |publisher= scstatehouse.gov |url=https://www.scstatehouse.gov/studentpage/coolstuff/animals.shtml |access-date= May 29, 2019}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
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The Northern Mockingbird is the [[List of U.S. state birds|state bird]] of [[Arkansas]], [[Florida]], [[Mississippi]], [[Tennessee]] and [[Texas]],<ref>"[http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/NN/tbn1.html Northern mockingbird]." [[Handbook of Texas]]. Retrieved on March 13, 2010.</ref> and formerly the state bird of [[South Carolina]]. |
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* [[List of birds of Puerto Rico]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist|30em}} |
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==External links== |
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{{Commons category|Mimus polyglottos|Northern Mockingbird}} |
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{{wikispecies|Mimus polyglottos}} |
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{{NIE Poster|year=1905|Mocking-bird}} |
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*[http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Northern_Mockingbird.html Northern Mockingbird Species Account] – Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
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* {{InternetBirdCollection|northern-mockingbird-mimus-polyglottos|Northern Mockingbird}} |
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*[http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i7030id.html Northern Mockingbird – ''Mimus polyglottos''] – USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter |
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*[http://www.learnbirdsongs.com/birdsong.php?id=4 Learn Bird Songs: Songs of the Northern Mockingbird] from the Lang Elliott website Learnbirdsongs.com |
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* [http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/wwwsounds/birds/hardy60sh.wav Northern Mockingbird Bird Sound] at Florida Museum of Natural History |
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*{{Cite NSRW|wstitle=Mockingbird}} |
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* {{VIREO|Northern+Mockingbird|Northern Mockingbird}} |
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<!-- ==Further reading== |
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==Further reading== |
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===Book=== |
===Book=== |
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* Derrickson, K. C. and R. Breitwisch. 1992. |
* Derrickson, K. C. and R. Breitwisch. 1992. "Northern Mockingbird (''Mimus polyglottos'')". In ''The Birds of North America'', No. 7 (A. Poole, P. Stettenheim, and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, DC.: The American Ornithologists' Union. |
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===Articles=== |
===Articles=== |
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* Baker MC. (1968). ''Feeding Perching Behavior in the Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos Ecology''. Condor. vol '''70''', no 3. |
* Baker MC. (1968). ''Feeding Perching Behavior in the Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos Ecology''. Condor. vol '''70''', no 3. |
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* Balat F & De Las Pozas G. (1981). ''The Breeding of Mimus-Polyglottos and Zenaida-Macroura in a Peripheral Part of Havana Cuba''. Folia Zoologica. vol '''30''', no 4. p. 339-352. |
* Balat F & De Las Pozas G. (1981). ''The Breeding of Mimus-Polyglottos and Zenaida-Macroura in a Peripheral Part of Havana Cuba''. Folia Zoologica. vol '''30''', no 4. p. 339-352. |
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* Balat F & Delaspozas G. (1981). '' |
* Balat F & Delaspozas G. (1981). ''Data On the Breeding of Mimus-oolyglottos and Zenaida-macroura in a Peripheral Part of Havana''. Folia Zoologica. vol '''30''', no 4. p. 339-352. |
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* Barrows EM, Acquavella AP, Weinstein PJS & Nosal RE. (1980). ''Response to Novel Food in Captive Juvenile Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '''92''', no 3. p. 399-402. |
* Barrows EM, Acquavella AP, Weinstein PJS & Nosal RE. (1980). ''Response to Novel Food in Captive Juvenile Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '''92''', no 3. p. 399-402. |
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* Biedenweg DW. (1983). ''Time and Energy Budgets of the Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos During the Breeding Season''. Auk. vol '''100''', no 1. p. 149-160. |
* Biedenweg DW. (1983). ''Time and Energy Budgets of the Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos During the Breeding Season''. Auk. vol '''100''', no 1. p. 149-160. |
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* Breitwisch R. (1988). ''Sex Differences in Defense of Eggs and Nestlings by Northern Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos''. Animal Behaviour. vol '''36''', no 1. p. 62-72. |
* Breitwisch R. (1988). ''Sex Differences in Defense of Eggs and Nestlings by Northern Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos''. Animal Behaviour. vol '''36''', no 1. p. 62-72. |
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* Breitwisch R, Diaz M, Gottlieb N, Lee R & Zaias J. (1986). ''Defense of Fall Territories by Mated and Unmated and Northern Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos in Southern Florida USA''. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol '''57''', no 1. p. 16-21. |
* Breitwisch R, Diaz M, Gottlieb N, Lee R & Zaias J. (1986). ''Defense of Fall Territories by Mated and Unmated and Northern Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos in Southern Florida USA''. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol '''57''', no 1. p. 16-21. |
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* Breitwisch R, Diaz M & Lee R. (1987). '' |
* Breitwisch R, Diaz M & Lee R. (1987). ''Foraging Efficiencies and Techniques of Juvenile and Adult Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus-polyglottos)''. Behaviour. vol '''101''', p. 225-235. |
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* Breitwisch R, Merritt PG & Whitesides GH. (1984). ''Why Do Northern Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos Feed Fruit to Their Nestlings''. Condor. vol '''86''', no 3. p. 281-287. |
* Breitwisch R, Merritt PG & Whitesides GH. (1984). ''Why Do Northern Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos Feed Fruit to Their Nestlings''. Condor. vol '''86''', no 3. p. 281-287. |
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* Breitwisch R, Merritt PG & Whitesides GH. (1986). ''Parental Investment by the Northern Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos Male and Female Roles in Feeding Nestlings''. Auk. vol '''103''', no 1. p. 152-159. |
* Breitwisch R, Merritt PG & Whitesides GH. (1986). ''Parental Investment by the Northern Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos Male and Female Roles in Feeding Nestlings''. Auk. vol '''103''', no 1. p. 152-159. |
||
* Breitwisch R, Ritter RC & Zaias J. (1986). ''Parental Behavior of a Bigamous Male Northern Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos''. Auk. vol '''103''', no 2. p. 424-427. |
* Breitwisch R, Ritter RC & Zaias J. (1986). ''Parental Behavior of a Bigamous Male Northern Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos''. Auk. vol '''103''', no 2. p. 424-427. |
||
* Breitwisch R & Whitesides GH. (1987). '' |
* Breitwisch R & Whitesides GH. (1987). ''Directionality of Singing and Non-Singing Behavior of Mated and Unmated Northern Mockingbirds, Mimus-polyglottos''. Animal Behaviour. vol '''35''', p. 331-339. |
||
* Brenowitz EA. (1982). ''Aggressive Response of Red-Winged Blackbirds Agelaius-Phoeniceus to Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos Song Imitation''. Auk. vol '''99''', no 3. p. 584-586. |
* Brenowitz EA. (1982). ''Aggressive Response of Red-Winged Blackbirds Agelaius-Phoeniceus to Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos Song Imitation''. Auk. vol '''99''', no 3. p. 584-586. |
||
* Buden DW. (1988). ''Geographic Variation and Probable Sources of the Northern Mockingbird in the Bahama Islands Atlantic Ocean''. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. vol '''101''', no 3. p. 475-486. |
* Buden DW. (1988). ''Geographic Variation and Probable Sources of the Northern Mockingbird in the Bahama Islands Atlantic Ocean''. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. vol '''101''', no 3. p. 475-486. |
||
Line 167: | Line 190: | ||
* Cumming F. (1974). ''Nutrition and Niche of Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos Mimidae''. ASB Bulletin. vol '''21''', no 2. |
* Cumming F. (1974). ''Nutrition and Niche of Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos Mimidae''. ASB Bulletin. vol '''21''', no 2. |
||
* David N, Gosselin M & Seutin G. (1990). ''Pattern of Colonization by the Northern Mockingbird in Quebec Canada''. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol '''61''', no 1. p. 1-8. |
* David N, Gosselin M & Seutin G. (1990). ''Pattern of Colonization by the Northern Mockingbird in Quebec Canada''. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol '''61''', no 1. p. 1-8. |
||
* Derrickson KC. (1987). '' |
* Derrickson KC. (1987). ''Behavioral-Correlates of Song Types of the Northern Mockingbird (Mimus-polyglottos)''. Ethology. vol '''74''', no 1. p. 21-32. |
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* Derrickson KC. (1987). '' |
* Derrickson KC. (1987). ''Yearly and Situational Changes in the Estimate of Repertoire Size in Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus-polyglottos)''. Auk. vol '''104''', no 2. p. 198-207. |
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* Dickson RD. (1991). ''Northern Mockingbird and Swamp Sparrow Overwinter in Calgary Alberta Canada''. Blue Jay. vol '''49''', no 2. p. 70-71. |
* Dickson RD. (1991). ''Northern Mockingbird and Swamp Sparrow Overwinter in Calgary Alberta Canada''. Blue Jay. vol '''49''', no 2. p. 70-71. |
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* Fairfield G & Fairfield J. (1997). ''Wing flashing behaviour in a Northern mockingbird''. Ontario Birds. vol '''15''', no 3. p. 116-117. |
* Fairfield G & Fairfield J. (1997). ''Wing flashing behaviour in a Northern mockingbird''. Ontario Birds. vol '''15''', no 3. p. 116-117. |
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* Ficken RW & Ficken MS. (1982). ''Interspecific Plumage Similarity the Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos and Loggerhead Shrike Lanius-Ludovicianus''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '''94''', no 2. |
* Ficken RW & Ficken MS. (1982). ''Interspecific Plumage Similarity the Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos and Loggerhead Shrike Lanius-Ludovicianus''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '''94''', no 2. |
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* Fischer DH. (1981). ''Factors Affecting the Reproductive Success of the Northern Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos in South Texas USA''. Southwestern Naturalist. vol '''26''', no 3. p. 289-294. |
* Fischer DH. (1981). ''Factors Affecting the Reproductive Success of the Northern Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos in South Texas USA''. Southwestern Naturalist. vol '''26''', no 3. p. 289-294. |
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* Fulk KR, Logan CA & Hyatt LE. (1987). '' |
* Fulk KR, Logan CA & Hyatt LE. (1987). ''Polyandry in a Female Northern Mockingbird''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '''99''', no 2. p. 286-288. |
||
* Hedrick LD & Woody AD. (1983). ''Northern Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos Kills Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla-Cedrorum''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '''95''', no 1. p. 157-158. |
* Hedrick LD & Woody AD. (1983). ''Northern Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos Kills Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla-Cedrorum''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '''95''', no 1. p. 157-158. |
||
* Hopkins MJ. (1968). ''Carrion Consumption by Birds Other Than Vultures Melanerpes-Erythrocephalus Mimus-Polyglottos Corvus-Brachyrhynchos Lanius-Ludovicianus''. Oriole. vol '''33''', no 3. |
* Hopkins MJ. (1968). ''Carrion Consumption by Birds Other Than Vultures Melanerpes-Erythrocephalus Mimus-Polyglottos Corvus-Brachyrhynchos Lanius-Ludovicianus''. Oriole. vol '''33''', no 3. |
||
* |
* Howard RD. (1974). ''Influence of Sexual Selection and Interspecific Competition On Mockingbird Song (Mimus-polyglottos)''. Evolution. vol '''28''', no 3. p. 428-438. |
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* Howard RD. (1974). ''INFLUENCE OF SEXUAL SELECTION AND INTERSPECIFIC COMPETITION ON MOCKINGBIRD SONG (MIMUS-POLYGLOTTOS)''. Evolution. vol '''28''', no 3. p. 428-438. |
|||
* Hughes CR & Deloach DM. (1997). ''Developing microsatellites when they are rare: Trinucleotide repeat loci in the northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos''. Molecular Ecology. vol '''6''', no 11. p. 1099-1102. |
* Hughes CR & Deloach DM. (1997). ''Developing microsatellites when they are rare: Trinucleotide repeat loci in the northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos''. Molecular Ecology. vol '''6''', no 11. p. 1099-1102. |
||
* Igl LD & Martin RE. (2002). ''Records of Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos, occurrences in North Dakota during the twentieth century''. Canadian Field-Naturalist. vol '''116''', no 1. p. 87-97. |
* Igl LD & Martin RE. (2002). ''Records of Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos, occurrences in North Dakota during the twentieth century''. Canadian Field-Naturalist. vol '''116''', no 1. p. 87-97. |
||
* Joern WT & Jackson JF. (1983). ''Homogeneity of Vegetational Cover around the Nest and Avoidance of Nest Predation in Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos''. Auk. vol '''100''', no 2. p. 497-499. |
* Joern WT & Jackson JF. (1983). ''Homogeneity of Vegetational Cover around the Nest and Avoidance of Nest Predation in Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos''. Auk. vol '''100''', no 2. p. 497-499. |
||
* Logan CA. (1983). '' |
* Logan CA. (1983). ''Reproductively Dependent Song Cyclicity in Mated Male Mockingbirds (Mimus-polyglottos)''. Auk. vol '''100''', no 2. p. 404-413. |
||
* Logan CA. (1985). ''Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos Use of Chatbursts with Neighbors Vs. Strangers''. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol '''56''', no 1. p. 69-71. |
* Logan CA. (1985). ''Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos Use of Chatbursts with Neighbors Vs. Strangers''. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol '''56''', no 1. p. 69-71. |
||
* Logan CA. (1987). '' |
* Logan CA. (1987). ''Fluctuations in Fall and Winter Territory Size in the Northern Mockingbird (Mimus-polyglottos)''. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol '''58''', no 3. p. 297-305. |
||
* Logan CA. (1988). '' |
* Logan CA. (1988). ''Breeding Context and Response to Song Playback in Mockingbirds (Mimus-polyglottos)''. Journal of Comparative Psychology. vol '''102''', no 2. p. 136-145. |
||
* Logan CA. (1994). ''Fluctuations in intra-pair calling across breeding phases in northern mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos)''. Behaviour. vol '''130''', no 1-2. p. 123-141. |
* Logan CA. (1994). ''Fluctuations in intra-pair calling across breeding phases in northern mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos)''. Behaviour. vol '''130''', no 1-2. p. 123-141. |
||
* Logan CA. (2003). |
* Logan CA. (2003). "The function of 'chat' calls in northern mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos): Vocal defense of nestlings". In Ploger, Bonnie J [Editor, Reprint Author], Yasukawa, Ken [Editor] ''Exploring animal behavior in laboratory and field: An hypothesis-testing approach to the development, causation, function, and evolution of animal behavior'':279–286, 2003. San Diego; London: Academic Press. |
||
* Logan CA, Budman PD & Fulk KR. (1983). ''Role of Chatburst Versus Song in the Defense of Fall Territory in Mockingbirds (Mimus-polyglottos)''. Journal of Comparative Psychology. vol '''97''', no 4. p. 292-301. |
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Academic Press Ltd., 84 Theobald's Road, London, WC1X 8RR, UK. |
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* Logan CA, Budman PD & Fulk KR. (1983). ''ROLE OF CHATBURST VERSUS SONG IN THE DEFENSE OF FALL TERRITORY IN MOCKINGBIRDS (MIMUS-POLYGLOTTOS)''. Journal of Comparative Psychology. vol '''97''', no 4. p. 292-301. |
|||
* Logan CA & Derrickson KC. (1996). ''Aggressive harassment by male northern mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) directed at their incubating mates''. Bird Behavior. vol '''11''', no 2. p. 71-80. |
* Logan CA & Derrickson KC. (1996). ''Aggressive harassment by male northern mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) directed at their incubating mates''. Bird Behavior. vol '''11''', no 2. p. 71-80. |
||
* Logan CA & Donaghey BA. (1997). ''Fledgling age affects female reactions to mate song in free-living northern mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos)''. Bird Behavior. vol '''12''', no 1-2. p. 1-6. |
* Logan CA & Donaghey BA. (1997). ''Fledgling age affects female reactions to mate song in free-living northern mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos)''. Bird Behavior. vol '''12''', no 1-2. p. 1-6. |
||
* Logan CA & Fulk KR. (1984). '' |
* Logan CA & Fulk KR. (1984). ''Differential Responding to Spring and Fall Song in Mockingbirds (Mimus-polyglottos)''. Journal of Comparative Psychology. vol '''98''', no 1. p. 3-9. |
||
* Logan CA & Hyatt LE. (1991). '' |
* Logan CA & Hyatt LE. (1991). ''Mate Attraction by Autumnal Song in the Northern Mockingbird (Mimus-polyglottos)''. Auk. vol '''108''', no 2. p. 429-432. |
||
* Logan CA, Hyatt LE & Gregorcyk L. (1990). '' |
* Logan CA, Hyatt LE & Gregorcyk L. (1990). ''Song Playback Initiates Nest Building During Clutch Overlap in Mockingbirds, Mimus-polyglottos''. Animal Behaviour. vol '''39''', p. 943-953. |
||
* Logan CA & Rulli M. (1981). ''Bigamy in a Male Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos''. Auk. vol '''98''', no 2. p. 385-386. |
* Logan CA & Rulli M. (1981). ''Bigamy in a Male Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos''. Auk. vol '''98''', no 2. p. 385-386. |
||
* Logan CA & Wingfield JC. (1995). ''Hormonal correlates of breeding status, nest construction, and parental care in multiple-brooded northern mockingbirds, Mimus polyglottos''. Hormones & Behavior. vol '''29''', no 1. p. 12-30. |
* Logan CA & Wingfield JC. (1995). ''Hormonal correlates of breeding status, nest construction, and parental care in multiple-brooded northern mockingbirds, Mimus polyglottos''. Hormones & Behavior. vol '''29''', no 1. p. 12-30. |
||
Line 205: | Line 226: | ||
* Roth RR. (1979). ''Foraging Behavior of Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos the Effect of Too Much Grass''. Auk. vol '''96''', no 2. p. 421-422. |
* Roth RR. (1979). ''Foraging Behavior of Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos the Effect of Too Much Grass''. Auk. vol '''96''', no 2. p. 421-422. |
||
* Sims CG & Holberton RL. (2000). ''Development of the corticosterone stress response in young Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos)''. General and Comparative Endocrinology. vol '''119''', no 2. p. 193-201. |
* Sims CG & Holberton RL. (2000). ''Development of the corticosterone stress response in young Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos)''. General and Comparative Endocrinology. vol '''119''', no 2. p. 193-201. |
||
* Smith KG. (1986). '' |
* Smith KG. (1986). ''Brown Thrashers Respond to Calls of Northern Mockingbird Nestlings''. Wilson Bulletin. vol '''98''', no 2. p. 313-314. |
||
* Smith KG. (1986). ''Winter Population Dynamics of Blue Jays Cyanocitta-Cristata Red-Headed Woodpeckers Melanerpes-Erythrocephalus and Northern Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos in the Ozarks USA''. American Midland Naturalist. vol '''115''', no 1. p. 52-62. |
* Smith KG. (1986). ''Winter Population Dynamics of Blue Jays Cyanocitta-Cristata Red-Headed Woodpeckers Melanerpes-Erythrocephalus and Northern Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos in the Ozarks USA''. American Midland Naturalist. vol '''115''', no 1. p. 52-62. |
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* Smith RBH & Poon W. (2006). ''The changing status of the Northern Mockingbird in the Greater Toronto Area''. Ontario Birds. vol '''24''', no 3. p. 106-159. |
* Smith RBH & Poon W. (2006). ''The changing status of the Northern Mockingbird in the Greater Toronto Area''. Ontario Birds. vol '''24''', no 3. p. 106-159. |
||
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* Thompson NS, Abbey E, Wapner J, Logan C, Merritt PG & Pooth A. (2000). ''Variation in the bout structure of northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottus) singing''. Bird Behavior. vol '''13''', no 2. p. 93-98. |
* Thompson NS, Abbey E, Wapner J, Logan C, Merritt PG & Pooth A. (2000). ''Variation in the bout structure of northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottus) singing''. Bird Behavior. vol '''13''', no 2. p. 93-98. |
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* Utter JM, Pearson LL, Carruth GC & Hurley BJ. (1983). ''Over Wintering of Northern Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos and Subsequent Breeding Success''. American Zoologist. vol '''23''', no 4. p. 898. |
* Utter JM, Pearson LL, Carruth GC & Hurley BJ. (1983). ''Over Wintering of Northern Mockingbirds Mimus-Polyglottos and Subsequent Breeding Success''. American Zoologist. vol '''23''', no 4. p. 898. |
||
* Zaias J & Breitwisch R. (1989). '' |
* Zaias J & Breitwisch R. (1989). ''Intra-Pair Cooperation, Fledgling Care, and Renesting by Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus-polyglottos)''. Ethology. vol '''80''', no 1-4. p. 94-110. |
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==External links== |
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{{Commons category|Mimus polyglottos|Northern mockingbird}} |
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{{Wikispecies|Mimus polyglottos}} |
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{{NIE Poster|year=1905|Mocking-bird}} |
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* [https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird Northern Mockingbird Species Account] – Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
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* {{EBirdSpecies|normoc|Northern Mockingbird}} |
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* [https://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i7030id.html Northern Mockingbird – ''Mimus polyglottos''] – USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter |
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* [https://www.learnbirdsongs.com/northern-mockingbird Learn Bird Songs: Songs of the Northern Mockingbird] from the Lang Elliott website Learnbirdsongs.com |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131110210811/http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/wwwsounds/birds/hardy60sh.wav Northern Mockingbird Bird Sound] at Florida Museum of Natural History |
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* {{Cite NSRW|wstitle=Mockingbird}} |
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* {{VIREO|Northern+Mockingbird|Northern Mockingbird}} |
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{{Taxonbar |from=Q829683}} |
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[[Category:Articles containing video clips]] |
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[[Category:Birds described in 1758]] |
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[[Category:Birds of the United States]] |
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[[Category:Birds of the Dominican Republic]] |
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[[Category:Birds of Haiti]] |
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[[Category:Birds of Central America]] |
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[[Category:Mimus]] |
[[Category:Mimus]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Symbols of Arkansas]] |
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[[Category:Birds of the Greater Antilles|Mockingbird, Northern]] |
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[[Category:Native birds of the Northeastern United States|Mockingbird, Northern]] |
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[[Category:Native birds of the Southeastern United States|Mockingbird, Northern]] |
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[[Category:Native birds of the Southwestern United States|Mockingbird, Northern]] |
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[[Category:Symbols of Florida]] |
[[Category:Symbols of Florida]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Symbols of Texas]] |
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[[Category:Symbols of Mississippi]] |
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[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]] |
Latest revision as of 19:43, 22 December 2024
Northern mockingbird | |
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An adult in New York City | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Mimidae |
Genus: | Mimus |
Species: | M. polyglottos
|
Binomial name | |
Mimus polyglottos | |
Northern mockingbird range Breeding range Year-round range
| |
Synonyms | |
|
The northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is a mockingbird commonly found in North America, of the family Mimidae. The species is also found in some parts of the Caribbean, as well as on the Hawaiian Islands. It is typically a permanent resident across much of its range, but northern mockingbirds may move farther south during inclement weather or prior to the onset of winter. The northern mockingbird has gray to brown upper feathers and a paler belly. Its tail and wings have white patches which are visible in flight.[2]
The species is known for its ability to mimic bird calls and other types of sound, including artificial and electronic noises. Studies have shown its ability to identify individual humans and treat them differently based on learned threat assessments.[3] It is an omnivore and consumes fruit, invertebrates, and small vertebrates. It is often found in open areas, open woodlands and forest edges, and is quite common in urbanized areas. The species breeds from southeastern Canada throughout the United States to the Greater Antilles. It is listed as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The mockingbird is influential in United States culture, being the state bird of five states, appearing in book titles, songs and lullabies, and making other appearances in popular culture.
Taxonomy
[edit]Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus first described this species in his Systema Naturae in 1758 as a species of thrush, Turdus polyglottos.[4] Its current genus name, Mimus, is Latin for "mimic" and the specific polyglottos, is from Ancient Greek poluglottos, "harmonious", from polus, "many", and glossa, "tongue",[5] representing its outstanding ability to mimic various sounds.[6] The northern mockingbird is considered to be conspecific with the tropical mockingbird (Mimus gilvus).[7]
This species is categorized as the northern mockingbird as the closest living relative to M. gilvus.[8][9]
Subspecies
[edit]There are three recognized subspecies for the northern mockingbird.[10][11] There have been proposed races from the Bahamas and Haiti placed under the orpheus section.[11]
- M. p. polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758): generally found in the eastern portion of North America ranging from Nova Scotia to Nebraska, to as far south as Texas and Florida.[10][11]
- M. p. leucopterus, the western mockingbird (Vigors, 1839): generally found in the western portion of North America ranging from northwestern Nebraska and western Texas to the Pacific coast, and south to Mexico (the Isthmus of Tehuantepec), and Socorro Island.[10][11] It is larger than M. p. polyglottos and has a slightly shorter tail, upperparts are more buff and paler, underparts have a stronger buff pigment.[10]
- M. p. orpheus (Linnaeus, 1758) from the Bahamas to the Greater Antilles, also the Cayman and Virgin Islands.[11] Similar to M. m. polyglottos except smaller, a paler shade of gray on its back, and underparts with practically little, if any buff at all.[10]
Description
[edit]The northern mockingbird is a medium-sized mimid that has long legs and tail.[12] Males and females look alike.[13] Its upper parts are colored gray, while its underparts have a white or whitish-gray color.[14] It has parallel wing bars on the half of the wings connected near the white patch giving it a distinctive appearance in flight.[14] The black central rectrices and typical white lateral rectrices are also noticeable in flight.[14] The iris is usually a light green-yellow or a yellow, but there have been instances of an orange color.[10] The bill is black with a brownish black appearance at the base.[10] The juvenile appearance is marked by its streaks on its back, distinguished spots and streaks on its chest, and a gray or grayish-green iris.[10]
Northern mockingbirds measure from 20.5 to 28 cm (8.1 to 11.0 in) including a tail almost as long as its body. The wingspan can range from 31–38 cm (12–15 in) and body mass is from 40–58 g (1.4–2.0 oz). Males tend to be slightly larger than females.[15][16] Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in), the tail is 10 to 13.4 cm (3.9 to 5.3 in), the culmen is 1.6 to 1.9 cm (0.63 to 0.75 in) and the tarsus is 2.9 to 3.4 cm (1.1 to 1.3 in).[10]
The northern mockingbird's lifespan is observed to be up to 8 years, but captive birds can live up to 20 years.[17]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]The mockingbird's breeding range is from the Maritime provinces westwards to British Columbia, practically the entire continental United States south of the northern Plains states and Pacific Northwest, the Greater Antilles, and the majority of Mexico to eastern Oaxaca and Veracruz.[10] The mockingbird is generally a year-round resident of its range, but the birds that live in the northern portion of its range have been noted farther south during the winter season.[14] Sightings of the mockingbird have also been recorded in Hawaii (where it was introduced in the 1920s),[18] southeastern Alaska,[19] and three times as transatlantic vagrants in Britain,[14] most recently in Exmouth, Devon, UK in February and March 2021.[20] The mockingbird is thought to be at least partly migratory in the northern portions of its range, but the migratory behavior is not well understood.[18]
In the 19th century, the range of the mockingbird expanded northward towards provinces such as Nova Scotia and Ontario and states such as Massachusetts, although the sightings were sporadic. Within the first five decades of the 20th century, regions that received an influx of mockingbirds were Maine, Vermont, Ohio, Iowa, and New York.[18] In western states such as California, the population was restricted to the Lower Sonoran Desert regions but by the 1970s the mockingbird was residential in most counties.[18] Islands that saw introductions of the mockingbird include Bermuda (in which it failed), Barbados, St. Helena, Socorro Island, the Cayman Islands and Tahiti.[18][10]
The mockingbird's habitat varies by location, but it prefers open areas with sparse vegetation. In the eastern regions, suburban and urban areas such as parks and gardens are frequent residential areas. It has an affinity for mowed lawns with shrubs within proximity for shade and nesting.[14][18] In western regions, desert scrub and chaparral are among its preferred habitats. When foraging for food, it prefers short grass.[14] This bird does not nest in densely forested areas,[10][21] and generally resides in the same habitats year round.[18]
Behavior
[edit]Diet
[edit]The northern mockingbird is an omnivore.[22] The birds' diet consists of arthropods (such as spiders, grasshoppers, wasps, bees, ants, beetles, butterflies, and caterpillars), earthworms, berries, fruits, seeds, and occasionally flowers, small crustaceans, and lizards (Anolis spp.).[10][23][24][25] Mockingbirds can drink from puddles, river and lake edges, or dew and rain droplets that amass onto plants.[14] Adult mockingbirds also have been seen drinking sap from the cuts on recently pruned trees.[14] Its diet heavily consists of animal prey during the breeding season, but takes a drastic shift to fruits during the fall and winter.[14] The drive for fruits amid winter has been noted for the geographic expansion of the mockingbird, and in particular, the fruit of Rosa multiflora, a favorite of the birds, is a possible link.[10][14] Mockingbirds also eat garden fruits such as tomatoes, apples, and berries (like blackberries, raspberries, other bramble fruits, holly berries, mulberries, and dogwood), as well as grapes and figs.[26][27][23][24]
These birds forage on the ground or in vegetation; they also fly down from a perch to capture food.[14] While foraging, they frequently spread their wings in a peculiar two-step motion to display the white patches. There is disagreement among ornithologists over the purpose of this behavior, with hypotheses ranging from deceleration to intimidation of predators or prey.[28][29]
Breeding
[edit]Both the male and female of the species reach sexual maturity after one year of life. The breeding season occurs in the spring and early summer.[12] The males arrive before the beginning of the season to establish their territories. They may demonstrate or contest the edges of a territory using a boundary dance in which males, typically on the ground, face each other and hop side to side, sometimes fighting, until one flies away.[30][31] The males use a series of courtship displays to attract the females to their sites.[12] They run around the area either to showcase their territory to the females or to pursue the females. The males also engage in flight to showcase their wings.[12] They sing and call as they perform all of these displays. The species can remain monogamous for many years, but incidents of polygyny and bigamy have been reported to occur during a single bird's lifetime.[32][33]
Both the male and female are involved in the nest building.[34] The male does most of the work, while the female perches on the shrub or tree where the nest is being built to watch for predators. The nest is built approximately three to ten feet above the ground.[34] The outer part of the nest is composed of twigs, while the inner part is lined with grasses, dead leaves, moss, or artificial fibers. The eggs are a light blue or greenish color and speckled with dots.[15] The female lays three to five eggs, and she incubates them for nearly two weeks. Once the eggs are hatched, both the male and female will feed the chicks.[34]
The birds aggressively defend their nests and surrounding areas against other birds and animals.[34] When a predator is persistent, mockingbirds from neighboring territories may be summoned by distinct calls to join the defense. Other birds may gather to watch as the mockingbirds drive away the intruder. In addition to harassing domestic cats and dogs that they consider a threat,[12] mockingbirds will at times target humans. The birds are bold, and will attack much larger birds, even hawks. One incident in Tulsa, Oklahoma involving a postal carrier resulted in the distribution of a warning letter to residents.[35]
The northern mockingbird pairs hatch about two to four broods a year. In one breeding attempt, the northern mockingbird lays an average of four eggs.[12] They are pale blue or greenish white with red or brown blotches, and measure about 25 by 18 millimetres (0.98 by 0.71 in). They hatch after about 11 to 14 days of incubation by the female.[36] After about 10 to 15 days of life, the offspring become independent.[12]
Sexual selection
[edit]Northern mockingbirds are famous for their song repertoires. Studies have shown that males sing songs at the beginning of breeding season to attract females.[37] Unmated males sing songs in more directions and sing more bouts than mated males. In addition, unmated males perform more flight displays than mated males.[14] The mockingbirds usually nest several times during one breeding season.[38] Depending on the stage of breeding and the mating status, a male mockingbird will vary his song production. The unmated male keeps close track of this change. He sings in one direction when he perceives a chance to lure a female from the nest of the mated male.[37] Unmated males are also more likely to use elevated perches to make their songs audible farther away.[37] Though the mockingbirds are socially monogamous, mated males have been known to sing to attract additional mates.[32]
An observational study by Logan demonstrates that the female is continuously evaluating the quality of the male and his territory.[39] The assessment is usually triggered by the arrival of a new male in a neighboring territory at the beginning of a new breeding season. In those cases, the mated female is constantly seen flying over both the original and the new male's territory, evaluating the qualities of both territories and exchanging calls with both males.[39] The social mate displays aggressive behaviors towards the female, while the new male shows less aggression and sings softer songs.[39] At the same time, both the mated male and the new male will fly over other territories to attract other females as well. Separation, mate switching and extra-pair matings do occur in northern mockingbirds.[14][39]
Sex allocation
[edit]Northern mockingbirds adjust the sex ratio of their offspring according to the food availability and population density. Male offspring usually require more parental investment. There is therefore a bias for bearing the costlier sex at the beginning of a breeding season when the food is abundant.[40] Local resource competition predicts that the parents have to share the resources with offspring that remain at the natal site after maturation. In passerine birds, like the northern mockingbird, females are more likely to disperse than males.[41] Hence, it is adaptive to produce more dispersive sex than philopatric sex when the population density is high and the competition for local resources is intense. Since northern mockingbirds are abundant in urban environments, it is possible that the pollution and contamination in cities might affect sexual hormones and therefore play a role in offspring sex ratio.[42]
Mating
[edit]Northern mockingbirds are socially monogamous. The sexes look alike except that the male is slightly larger than the female. Mutual mate choice is exhibited in northern mockingbirds.[43] Both males and females prefer mates that are more aggressive towards intruders, and so exhibit greater parental investment. However, males are more defensive of their nests than females. In a population where male breeding adults outnumber female breeding adults, females have more freedom in choosing their mates.[43] In these cases, these female breeders have the option of changing mates within a breeding season if the first male does not provide a high level of parental care, which includes feeding and nest defense.[44] High nesting success is associated with highly aggressive males attacking intruders in the territory, and so these males are preferred by females.[44]
Parental care
[edit]Northern mockingbirds are altricial, meaning that, when hatched, they are born relatively immobile and defenseless and therefore require nourishment for a certain duration from their parents. The young have a survival bottleneck at the nestling stage because there are higher levels of nestling predation than egg predation. The levels of belligerence exhibited by parents therefore increase once eggs hatch but there is no increase during the egg stage.[43]
A recent study shows that both food availability and temperature affect the parental incubation of the eggs in northern mockingbirds. Increasing food availability provides the females with more time to care for the nest and perform self-maintenance. Increasing temperature, however, reduces the time the females spend at the nest and there is increased energy cost to cool the eggs. The incubation behavior is a trade-off among various environmental factors.[45]
Mockingbird nests are also often parasitized by cowbirds.[citation needed] The parents are found to reject parasitic eggs at an intermediate rate.[46] A recent study has shown that foreign eggs are more likely to be rejected from a nest later in the breeding season than from earlier in a breeding season. Early nesting hosts may not have learned the pattern and coloration of their first clutch yet, so are less likely to reject foreign eggs. There is also a seasonal threshold in terms of the overlap between the breeding seasons of the northern mockingbirds and their parasites. If the breeding season of the parasites starts later, there is less likelihood of parasitism. Hence, it pays the hosts to have relatively lower sensitivity to parasitic eggs.[47]
-
An adult northern mockingbird feeding berries to a fledgling
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Egg, Collection Museum Wiesbaden
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Eggs in a nest
Ontogeny
[edit]A laboratory observation of 38 mockingbird nestlings and fledglings (thirty-five and three, respectively) recorded the behavioral development of young mockingbirds. Notable milestones, including the eyes opening, soft vocalizations, begging, and preening, began within the first six days of life. Variation in begging and more compact movements such as perching, fear crouching, and stretching appeared by the ninth day. Wing-flashing, bathing, flight, and leaving the nest happened within seventeen days (nest leaving occurred within 11 to 13 days). Improvements of flight, walking and self-feeding took place within forty days. Agonistic behavior increased during the juvenile stages, to the extent that one of two siblings living in the same area was likely killed by the other.[48]
Song and calls
[edit]Although many species of bird imitate the vocalizations of other birds, the northern mockingbird is the species best known in North America for doing so. Among the vocalizations it imitates are songs of the Carolina wren, northern cardinal, tufted titmouse, eastern towhee, house sparrow, wood thrush, and eastern bluebird, calls of the northern flicker and great crested flycatcher, jeers and pumphandles of the blue jay, and alarms, chups, and chirrs of the American robin.[49][50] It imitates not only birds, but also other animals such as cats, dogs, frogs, and crickets and sounds from artificial items such as unoiled wheels and even car alarms. As convincing as these imitations may be to humans, they often fail to fool other birds, such as the Florida scrub jay.[51]
The northern mockingbird's mimicry is likely to serve as a form of sexual selection through which competition between males and female choice influence a bird's song repertoire size.[51] A 2013 study attempted to determine model selection in vocal mimics, and the data suggested that mimicry in the mockingbird resulted from the bird being genetically predisposed to learning vocalizations with acoustic characteristics such as an enlarged auditory template.[49]
Both male and female mockingbirds sing, with the latter being generally quieter and less vocal. Male commencement of singing is in late January to February and continues into the summer and the establishing of territory into the fall. Frequency in female singing is more sporadic, as it sings less often in the summer and fall, and only sings when the male is away from the territory.[14] The mockingbird also possesses a large song repertoire that ranges from 43 to 203 song types and the size varies by region. Repertoire sizes ranged from 14 to 150 types in Texas, and two studies of mockingbirds in Florida rounded estimates to 134 and 200, approximately.[14] It continually expands its repertoire during its life,[14] though it pales in comparison to mimids such as the brown thrasher.[52]
There are four recognized calls for the mockingbird: the nest relief call, hew call, chat or chatburst, and the begging call.[14] The hew call is mainly used by both sexes for potential nest predators, conspecific chasing, and various interactions between mates. One difference between chats and chatbursts is frequency of use, as chats are year-round and chatbursts occur in the fall.[14] Another difference is that chatbursts appear to be used in territorial defense in the fall and chats are used by either sex when disturbed.[14] The nest relief and begging calls are only used by the males.[14]
Predation and threats
[edit]Adult mockingbirds can fall victim to birds of prey such as the great horned owl, screech owl and sharp-shinned hawk, though their tenacious behavior makes them less likely to be captured. Scrub jays also have killed and eaten mockingbirds. Snakes rarely capture incubating females. Fledglings have been prey to domestic cats, red-tailed hawks, and crows. Eggs and nestlings are consumed by blue jays, fish crows, American crows, red-tailed hawks, swallow-tailed kites, snakes, squirrels, and cats. Blowfly larvae and Haemoproteus have been found in Florida and Arizona populations, respectively.[18]
Winter storms limit the expansion of mockingbirds in their range. The storms have played a role in the declining of the populations in Ohio (where it has since recovered), Michigan, Minnesota and likely in Quebec. Dry seasons also affect the mockingbird populations in Arizona.[18]
Intelligence
[edit]In a paper published in 2009, researchers found that mockingbirds were able to recall an individual human who, earlier in the study, had approached and threatened the mockingbirds' nest. Researchers had one participant stand near a mockingbird nest and touch it, while others avoided the nest. Later, the mockingbirds recognized the intruder and exhibited defensive behavior, while ignoring the other individuals.[53] A similar paper published in 2023 had several participants exhibit varying levels of threatening behavior towards nesting mockingbirds. During a three-day training period, "high threat" participants were instructed to touch the nest daily while accompanied by a "medium threat" participant who stood three meters away. "Low threat" participants approached the nest separately and also stood three meters away for 10 minutes. When flushed from their nests by participants during a testing period, the mockingbirds retreated further from individuals who had exhibited more threatening behavior during the training period.[54]
Adaptation to urban habitats
[edit]The northern mockingbird is a species that is found in both urban and rural habitats. There are now more northern mockingbirds living in urban habitats than non-urban environments, so they are consequently known as an urban-positive species.[55] Biologists have long questioned how northern mockingbirds adapt to a novel environment in cities, and whether they fall into the typical ecological traps that are common for urban-dwelling birds.[55] A comparative study between an urban dwelling population and a rural dwelling one shows that the apparent survival is higher for individuals in the urban habitats. Lower food availability and travel costs may account for the higher mortality rate in rural habitats.[56] Urban birds are more likely to return to the nest where they had successfully bred the previous year and avoid those where breeding success was low. One explanation for this phenomenon is that urban environments are more predictable than non-urban ones, as the site fidelity among urban birds prevents them from falling into ecological traps.[56] Mockingbirds are also able to utilize artificial lighting in order to feed nestlings in urban areas such as residential neighborhoods into the night, in contrast to those that do not nest near those areas.[57] The adaptation of the mockingbird in urban habitats has led it to become more susceptible to lead poisoning in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. populations.[18]
In culture
[edit]This bird features in the title and central metaphor of the 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. In that novel, mockingbirds are portrayed as innocent and generous, and two of the major characters, Atticus Finch and Miss Maudie, say it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because "they don't do one thing for us but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us."[58]
The Hunger Games franchise depicts "mockingjays," mockingbirds hybridized with jabberjays, genetically engineered birds which could memorize and repeat entire human conversations. These birds appear throughout the series as a rebellious symbol.[59]
The traditional lullaby "Hush Little Baby"[60] has a line that goes "Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird".
The song of the northern mockingbird inspired many American folk songs of the mid-19th century, such as "Listen to the Mocking Bird".[61]
Thomas Jefferson had several pet mockingbirds, including a bird named "Dick".[62][63]
In the fictional Neighborhood of Make-Believe on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, one of King Friday's "pets" is a wooden northern mockingbird on a stick, which he refers to by the scientific name Mimus polyglottos.[64][65]
In 1951, Patti Page, a popular vocalist, recorded "Mockin' Bird Hill", which was sold in 10" 78 RPM format. The song reached #2 on Billboard's pop music chart and reflected gentle postwar values of the period.
State bird
[edit]The northern mockingbird is the state bird of Arkansas,[66] Florida,[67] Mississippi,[68] Tennessee,[69] and Texas,[70] and previously the state bird of South Carolina.[71]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ BirdLife International (2017) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Mimus polyglottos". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22711026A111233524. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22711026A111233524.en. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ "Northern Mockingbird". All About Birds.
- ^ Levey, Douglas J.; Londoño, Gustavo A.; Ungvari-Martin, Judit; Hiersoux, Monique R.; Jankowski, Jill E.; Poulsen, John R.; Stracey, Christine M.; Robinson, Scott K. (2009-06-02). "Urban mockingbirds quickly learn to identify individual humans". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 106 (22): 8959–8962. Bibcode:2009PNAS..106.8959L. doi:10.1073/pnas.0811422106. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 2690012. PMID 19451622.
- ^ Linnæi, Caroli (1758). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places] (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th Revised ed.). Holmiæ [Stockholm]: Laurentii Salvii. p. 169.
T. obscure cinereus, subtus pallide cinereus, macula alarum albida [T. dark gray, pale gray underneath, white wing spot]
- ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 255, 313. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- ^ Tveten, John; Tveten, Gloria (2004). Our Life with Birds: A Nature Trails Book (1st ed.). College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Press. p. 234. ISBN 978-1-58544-380-2.
- ^ Chesser, R. T.; Billerman, S. M.; Burns, K. J.; et al. (1998). "Passeriformes:Incertae Sedis - Mimidae" (PDF). Check-list of North American Birds (7th ed.). American Ornithological Society. p. 516.
{{cite book}}
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- ^ Barber, Brian R.; Martínez-Gómez, Juan E.; Peterson, A. Townsend (2004). "Systematic position of the Socorro mockingbird Mimodes graysoni". Journal of Avian Biology. 35 (3): 195-198. doi:10.1111/j.0908-8857.2004.03233.x.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Brewer, David (2001). Wrens, Dippers, and Thrashers. Yale University Press. pp. 212–13. ISBN 0-300-09059-5.
- ^ a b c d e "Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)". The Internet Bird Collection. Lynx Nature Books. Archived from the original on 2012-02-21. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ a b c d e f g Breitmeyer, E. (2007). "Mimus Polyglottos". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
- ^ "Northern Mockingbird – Mimus polyglottos". Nature Works. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Derrickson, K.C.; Breitwisch, R. (1992). "Northern Mockingbird" (PDF). The Birds of North America. 7: 1–26. doi:10.2173/bna.7.
- ^ a b "Northern Mockingbird". The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. All About Birds. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
- ^ Dunning Jr., J. B. (1993). CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses. Boca Raton: CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-4258-5.
- ^ "Northern Mockingbird". Wildlife. National Wildlife Federation. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "The Birds of North America Online: Northern Mockingbird".
- ^ "The AOU Check-list of North American Birds, 7th Edition:Incertae Sedis – Mimidae". The Auk. 7: 416–522. 1998.
- ^ "Britain's third Northern Mockingbird found in Devon". Bird Guides. 2021-04-04. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
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- ^ "Northern Mockingbird Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". Retrieved 2024-04-20.
- ^ a b "Mimus polyglottos (Northern Mockingbird)" (PDF). Sta.uwi.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
- ^ a b "Mimus polyglottos (Northern mockingbird)". Animal Diversity Web.
- ^ Farnsworth, George; Londono, Gustavo Adolfo; Martin, Judit Ungvari; Derrickson, K. C.; Breitwisch, R. (2020). "Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)". In Poole, Alan F. (ed.). Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.normoc.01.
- ^ "Protecting Your Tomatoes From Mockingbirds". Vegetable Gardener. 30 May 2013.
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- ^ a b c d Mobley, Jason A. (2009). Birds of the World. Marshall Cavendish. pp. 426–7. ISBN 978-0-7614-7775-4.
- ^ Overall, Michael (22 July 2007). "Wild bird warning:Mockingbird stalks mail carrier". Tulsa World. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
- ^ Hauber, Mark E. (2014). The Book of Eggs: A Life-Size Guide to the Eggs of Six Hundred of the World's Bird Species. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 506. ISBN 978-0-226-05781-1.
- ^ a b c Breitwisch, R.; Whitesides, G.H. (1987). "Directionality of singing and non-singing behavior of mated and unmated Northern Mockingbirds, Mimus polyglottos". Animal Behaviour. 35 (2): 331–339. doi:10.1016/S0003-3472(87)80256-7. S2CID 53198013.
- ^ Logan, C.A. (1983). "Reproductively dependent song cyclicity in mated male mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos)". Auk. 100 (2): 404–413. doi:10.1093/auk/100.2.404. JSTOR 4086535.
- ^ a b c d Logan, C.A. (1997). "Mate-reassessment in an Already-mated Female Northern Mockingbird" (PDF). The Chat. 2. 61: 108–112.
- ^ Schrand, B.E.; Stobart, C.C.; Engle, D.B.; Desjardins, R.B.; Farnsworth, G.L. (2011). "Nestling Sex Ratios in Two Populations of Northern Mockingbirds". Southeastern Naturalist. 2. 10 (2): 365–370. doi:10.1656/058.010.0215. S2CID 85983149.
- ^ Clarke, A.L.; Saether, B.E.; Roskaft, E. (1997). "Sex biases in avian dispersal: A reappraisal". Oikos. 79 (3): 429–438. Bibcode:1997Oikos..79..429C. doi:10.2307/3546885. JSTOR 3546885.
- ^ Erikstad, K.E.; Bustnes, J.O.; Lorentsen, S.; Reiertsen, T.K. (2009). "Sex ratio in Lesser Black-backed Gull in relation to environmental pollutants" (PDF). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 63 (6): 931–938. Bibcode:2009BEcoS..63..931E. doi:10.1007/s00265-009-0736-3. S2CID 8976406. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
- ^ a b c Breitwisch, R. (1988). "Sex differences in defense of eggs and nestlings by Northern Mockingbirds, Mimus polyglottos". Animal Behaviour. 36: 62–72. doi:10.1016/S0003-3472(88)80250-1. S2CID 53202943.
- ^ a b Breitwisch, R. (1986). "Parental Investment by the Northern Mockingbird: Male and Female Roles in Feeding Nestlings". The Auk. 103 (1): 152–159. doi:10.1093/auk/103.1.152. JSTOR 4086973.
- ^ Londoño, G.A.; Levey, D.J.; Robinson, S.K. (2008). "Effects of temperature and food on incubation behavior of the northern mocking bird, Mimus polyglottos". Animal Behaviour. 76 (3): 669–677. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.05.002. S2CID 54355652.
- ^ Peer, B.D.; Ellison, K.S.; Sealy, S.G. (2002). "Intermediate frequencies of egg ejection by Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) sympatric with two cowbird species". The Auk. 3. 119 (3): 855–858. doi:10.1642/0004-8038(2002)119[0855:IFOEEB]2.0.CO;2. JSTOR 4089988. S2CID 85905220.
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- ^ Gammon, David E.; Altizer, Carly E. (2011). "Northern Mockingbirds produce syntactical patterns of vocal mimicry that reflect taxonomy of imitated species". Journal of Field Ornithology. 82 (2): 158–164. doi:10.1111/j.1557-9263.2011.00318.x. JSTOR 23011224.
- ^ a b Owen-Ashley, N. T.; Schoech, S. J.; Mumme, R. L. (2002). "Context-specific response of Florida scrub-jay pairs to Northern Mockingbird vocal mimicry". The Condor. 104 (4): 858–865. doi:10.1650/0010-5422(2002)104[0858:CSROFS]2.0.CO;2. JSTOR 1370710. S2CID 85635349.
- ^ Eastman, John (2015). Birds Nearby: Getting to Know 45 Common Species of Eastern North America. Stackpole Books. p. 35. ISBN 9780811714846.
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- ^ Levey, Douglas J.; Poulsen, John R.; Schaeffer, Andrew P.; Deochand, Michelle E.; Oswald, Jessica A.; Robinson, Scott K.; Londoño, Gustavo A. (2023-06-24). "Wild mockingbirds distinguish among familiar humans". Scientific Reports. 13 (1): 10259. Bibcode:2023NatSR..1310259L. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-36225-x. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 10290633. PMID 37355713.
- ^ a b Stracy, C.M.; Robinson, S.K. (2012). "Are urban habitats ecological traps for a native songbird? Season-long productivity, apparent survival, and site fidelity in urban and rural habitats". Journal of Avian Biology. 43: 50–60. doi:10.1111/j.1600-048X.2011.05520.x.
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- ^ Stracey, Christine M.; Wynn, Brady; Robinson, Scott K. (2014). "Light Pollution Allows the Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) to Feed Nestlings After Dark". Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 126 (2): 366–9. doi:10.1676/13-107.1. S2CID 84927782.
- ^ Lee, H. (1960). To Kill a Mockingbird (50th Anniversary (2010) ed.). HarperCollins. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-06-174352-8.
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External links
[edit]- Northern Mockingbird Species Account – Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Explore Species: Northern Mockingbird at eBird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
- Northern Mockingbird – Mimus polyglottos – USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Learn Bird Songs: Songs of the Northern Mockingbird from the Lang Elliott website Learnbirdsongs.com
- Northern Mockingbird Bird Sound at Florida Museum of Natural History
- Beach, Chandler B., ed. (1914). . . Chicago: F. E. Compton and Co.
- Northern Mockingbird photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)