Northern Mockingbird, Chase Prairie, November 2010. US Fish and Wildlife Service photo. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Northern Mockingbird in flight showing white wing patches, Old New Castle, Delaware, March 2009. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

northern mockingbird

Mimus polyglottos

Identification:
This gray bird is about the size of a robin, but slimmer.  It’s lighter on the breast and has two white wingbars and a long-ish tail.  Its beak is medium-long and slightly curved.  When the bird flies up, two very conspicuous white patches on the wing show up. 

Behavior:
The Northern Mockingbird is justly famous for its repertoire of songs.  Both males and females sing, but males sing more often and can amass as many as 200 songs in a lifetime.  Both sexes are aggressive towards other species.  They typically forage on the ground.  The nest, placed in a shrub, is constructed of varied materials including twigs and grasses, and even trash.

What brings it to the SBG?
Food, cover, nesting sites.  These omnivores can find berries, seeds, insects, worms, bees, and grasshoppers at the SBG habitat.  The habitat also affords suitable nesting sites.
When can I see it?
Year-round.