As we worked in the garden a few weeks ago, a friend and I listened to a bird singing nearby. “I don’t recognize that song,” she said. “What kind of bird do you think it is?” We followed the song to the source, expecting something rare and exotic, and found… a Northern Mockingbird. “Fooled again!” she commented with a grin. We probably should have known better – individual mockingbirds can have a repertoire of more than one hundred songs and calls, and we get tricked on a regular basis by this amazing mimic.
Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) are native to the entire U.S. , but seem much more common in the south. (The “Northern” in their name distinguishes them from other species that live in Central and South America.) In fact, it’s the state bird of a whopping four of the Southeastern region states: Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Birds & Blooms named it as one of their 50 Most Wanted Birds. And Harper Lee immortalized it in her classic book, To Kill a Mockingbird, set in Alabama.
Mockingbirds don’t do one thing 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. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.
Much as I love that book, I’ve always thought Miss Maudie must never have had mockingbirds nest in her backyard, or she might have a slightly different opinion. Northern Mockingbirds are very territorial when nesting, and will attack other birds, their own reflections (to the point of death), neighborhood cats, and even the occasional human to defend their territory.
Despite their territorial behavior, these birds are still a delight to have around, in part due to their music – they sing so sweetly in the evening twilight. If you’d like to bring Northern Mockingbirds to your backyard, try these suggestions:
- During the summer, they eat mainly insects, so try offering them mealworms.
- In the winter, their diet switches to berries and fruit, so add raisins and other fruits to your feeders.
- Alternatively, plant native shrubs that offer berries, like beautyberry or holly. Mockingbirds also nest in late winter or early spring in these same low shrubs.
Do you love to listen to the songs of the Northern Mockingbird? Tell us about your experiences in the comments.
Every weekend, the Focus on Natives segment highlights a plant, bird, or butterfly native to the Southeastern U.S. Know of a particular species you’d like to see featured here? Make your suggestions in the comments section below.
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I am very partial to the Mockingbird because I raised one from a baby for five glorious years. I felt blessed to be able to experience God’s creatures up close and personal. This little bird had such a comical personality; he was well known in my neighborhood. I inherited my love of animals from my grandmother who especially loved birds.
I just spied a nest of these out by the shade house this morning. The babies we clamoring for food and all that peeked above the rim of the nest were open, waiting beaks.
We were lucky enough to have “Molly” mockingbird hang out with us all summer last year! She had such personality. She guarded her territory, our back yard, from our neighbor’s chimney. Sitting high over looking her paradise. Sure miss her!