Spring 1999

Species Profile: Mockingbird

It is most appropriate that the first profile of a species for Wildlife Mississippi Magazine be on the state bird, the northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos).

Mississippi's state bird can be found year-round throughout the Magnolia State. It is one of the most widely distributed birds in North America, with a range extending from California to Florida and from Wyoming to southern Mexico.

The body of the mockingbird is about the size of a robin, only considerably slimmer. Adult mockingbirds are roughly nine to eleven inches in length, including the tail feathers, and are mostly a blend of grays above and white below. The long tail is black with white outer feathers. In flight, large white patches are visible on the upper wing surface of the gray and black wings.

Mockingbirds are in the Mimidae family. They are known for their excellent imitations of songs from other song birds. Mockingbirds tend to repeat most song phrases many times, singing while perched or in flight. They can be annoying at times by their loud renditions which often carry loudly through the early morning hours under the cover of nightfall. This is especially true during the nesting season.

Not only do mockingbirds mimic other songbirds, but they have also been known to imitate other sounds such as dogs barking and the ringing sounds of bells.

Mockingbirds favor habitat that provides dense, low shrubbery adjacent to short, grassy areas where they can catch insects. This type of habitat can be found in almost every suburban setting throughout Mississippi. They are also common in farming areas, where they take up residence in fence rows, on pasture edges or around thickets surrounded by open fields.

Insects are the most important part of a mockingbird's diet, but fruits and seeds are also readily used. Sliced fruits, suet cakes and raisins serve as a great attractant to spring feeding stations.

Mockingbirds are prolific birds, raising two and occasionally three broods annually. Brood size varies, but usually consists of three to five young.

Nesting begins as early as late March and lasts through July. The nest, constructed of small sticks and roots, is lined with fine grasses and other soft materials. It's usually built from three to five feet off the ground in dense shrubbery. The mockingbird's eggs are a greenish-blue spotted over a rusty red.

When eggs or young are in the nest, a pair of mockingbirds will vigorously defend their territory against all intruders, including dogs, cats and humans.

Mockingbirds have benefitted from man's clearing and settling of forested area throughout the state. There are many more mockingbirds in Mississippi now than when the first European explorers came to this land in the 1500's. Landscaping and beautification efforts generally creates excellent mockingbird habitat.

Persons interested in attracting mockingbirds can simply plant a few thick-foliaged ornamental bushes or shrubs, such as holly or privet, and keep a maintained lawn. Once the shrubs are established, mockingbirds will not be far behind.

This article was written by Rob Ballinger, Field Biologist with the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation.