Educate Yourself About the Northern Mockingbird and its Habitat
Northern Mockingbird
The Northern Mockingbird has a slender body, pale gray overall, white underside, conspicuous large white patches on wings and tail, and with long legs and tail. Its length is 9-11in (23-28cm) Its wingspan is 14in (36cm) Its voice is a song of varied prolonged successions of notes and phrases, the note is a loud “tchack” or “chair”. Their eggs are light blue or green blotched with 2 clutches consisting of 4 (3-5) eggs. The female incubates for about 12-13 days, and fledging time is around 11-13 days. Both male and female feed their young. Males and females look alike.
The Northern Mockingbird used to be captured in the late 1700s to the early 1900s, and where sold as pets, but now they are protected (as well as all other native birds) by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. After this treaty was made, the mockingbird population has increased, from only being southern birds, to an expanded range throughout most of the United States. The expansion range might be due to the rampant spread of the multiflora rose witch is an invasive shrub that produces favorite fruit and excellent nesting habitats for the mockingbirds, but perhaps also due to warmer winters.
These birds are extremely territorial, and fearless, and will readily torment a cat being to close to a nesting site, even a human passing by to closely may be attract. They are hard to detect sometimes since their nests are hidden in dense evergreen shrubbery. They will flash their wings, and fan their tails to expose large patches of white feathers in an attempt to frightened and intimidate other neighboring birds and predators coming into their territory. They will also use this behavior to fend of snakes, and to flush insect of the ground to easily be snatched.
You will find these defensive birds sitting high up in a favorite fruit tree, either to chase away intruding fruit-eaters like robins, and waxwings or to serenade you with a remarkable repertoire of songs. They can serenade you up to between 10-20 minutes witch can be somewhat irritating since these birds are nocturnal, and can interrupt a good night sleep, especially on moonlit nights. They are master mimics, and can imitate dozens of other birds, but will also have many of their own creations mingled in. Unfortunately they can imitate your dog or your neighbor’s plus cackling hens, as well as your whistles.
The diversity of songs will reflect their age, and also their experience witch the female will rapidly pick up on when choosing a mate. She knows that a more experienced male will be a better provider and breeding mate. The pair will build their nest together in a fork of a tall shrub about 3-10ft (1-3m) above ground, and the female will line it with soft grass and feathers.
The mockingbird’s diet consists of primarily flying insects, but will catch spiders, beetles, grasshoppers, some crayfish, and even small lizards and snakes. They enjoy feeding on fruits as well, such as elderberry, poison ivy, and pokeberry, and many other fruit-producing plants.
If you like to attract the Northern Mockingbird to your lovely bird feeding garden, plant berry-producing shrubs like poison ivy, pokeberries, and elderberries, mulberries, raspberries, as well as brambles, holly and hawthorn, and many others. Fill your bird feeding tables with grapes, raisins, currants, bread, doughnuts, and dry dog or cat food.
