Northern Mockingbird

Description:

This is a medium-sized songbird, with a gray body, black and white tail and wings on the underside with white patches, as pictured. This bird is well known for its large repertoire of songs and calls…hence its name, ‘mocking’ other birds.

Habitat:

These guys are year-round inhabitants in our urban area…covered with lawns, various trees (mostly pine), and gardens. The surrounding area is the Mojave Desert, in Nevada.

Notes:

Mockingbirds are very territorial. In the photos above, two males were in a street fight over territorial rights to the neighborhood. The tiff went on for about 20 minutes before one gave up and flew away. According to on-line sources, these birds continue to learn new songs throughout their lives. A male may learn as many as 200 songs over time. Mockingbirds as well have different songs and calls for the spring/summer and fall seasons.