Mimus polyglottos
adult
The Northern Mockingbird is a familiar bold songbird. The sexes are similar. Adults have gray upperparts and blackish wings with bold white wingbars and a white patch at the base of the primaries. The mainly black tail has white outer feathers. The yellow eye is emphasized by a dark eye stripe, and the bill is slightly downcurved. The underparts are pale gray, palest on the throat and undertail. Juveniles are similar to adults, but with pale buff underparts that are heavily spotted on the throat and breast.
The Northern Mockingbird is present year-round across much of southern U.S.A., although northern populations migrate south in fall. The species often perches prominently on wires and fenceposts, and often sings after dark in artificially lit suburbs.
adult
adult
FACT FILE
LENGTH 10 in (25.5 cm)
FOOD Invertebrates, fruits, and berries
HABITAT Wide range of wooded and lightly wooded habitats, including urban locations
STATUS Widespread and common resident, and partial summer migrant
VOICE Song consists of warbling phrases, with plenty of mimicry, each phrase repeated several times. Call is a sharp tchek
