Length: 10.5 inches. The Northern Mockingbird is a medium sized slim bird of predominantly gray tones. It has white wingbars, and the outer edges of the long tail are white. These features are best seen when the bird is in flight.

Range: The Northern Mockingbird is found year round in the southern half of the lower 48 states and in the northeastern coastal states including Massachusetts. It summers throughout New York and the middle part of the United States west to Nevada. The range has expanded northward over past 40-50 years, perhaps related to suburban sprawl, ornamental plantings in yards, and backyard feeding.

Behavior: Unlike most of the Mimids, the Northern Mockingbird is not a skulker and can be found in many open settings and in close proximity to human structures. It is a common backyard bird for many people in the United States, and its vocal tendencies make it well known even to non birders. The Northern Mockingbird seems to delight in incorporating bits of the songs of neighboring birds into its own song; this is believed to be a demonstration of a male's fitness for breeding and a sign that the bird occupies a territory rich enough in resources to support such a diversity of other species. Mockingbirds are seen by many suburban dwellers as unwelcome neighbors because of their tendency to loudly sing throughout the night in Spring as their hormones rage during the start of nesting season. This is usually the time homeowners are enjoying the good weather and often trying to sleep with the windows open.

Mockingbirds are the most talented mimics in their family, and even incorporate mechanical sounds into their songs. This includes the sounds of beepers used to indicate a truck backing up, and more recently car alarms. Mockingbirds are fearless defenders of their territory and young. They frequently make life miserable for cats that venture into their range, actually flying down and hitting the back of the cat with their bills.

Related or Similar Species: The Northern Mockingbird is a member of the Mimidae family; this family is noted for their singing and incorporation of the songs of other birds into their own songs. The Mimids also include the Gray Catbird and the Thrashers (Sage, Brown, Long-billed, Curve-billed, Bendire's, Crissal, LeConte's, and California). There are two other mockingbirds that occur in the US: the Bahama Mockingbird (Mimus gundlachii) that is a rare visitor to Florida; and the Blue Mockingbird (Melanotis caerulescens) that has occurred in Arizona on two occasions. The Bahama Mockingbird is slightly larger and could be mistaken for a scruffy or juvenile Northern Mockingbird due to the streaking on the body. The Bahama Mockingbird does not show the white wing patches of the Northern. The Sage Thrasher has a slight resemblance to a juvenile Northern Mockingbird as well, but is smaller, browner, without wing patches, and with more of a curved bill. The Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) has a superficial resemblance to the Northern Mockingbird, being of about the same general size and having a mostly gray plumage marked with white and black. But the shrike has a very large head for the size of the body in comparison to the mockingbird, with a large hooked beak and black feathers forming a mask about the eyes.

Identification: Straightforward. Usually prominently perched; often vocal. Robin sized. Found in brushy areas and backyards.

Editor's Comment: Let us know what you think! Please email the Editor to let us know your thoughts. Richard Ditch been looking at birds and taking their photographs since the early 1970's, when he caught the "birding bug" from a friend at work. He was very active as a birder when he lived in New Jersey (1970-1994), maintaining lists of all the birds he saw each year in the state and elsewhere. Rich was a volunteer and field trip leader at the Owl Haven Nature Center (part of the New Jersey Audubon Society) and was a member of the Board of Directors for many years, along with being a frequent contributor to their quarterly magazine and to Records of New Jersey Birds. After moving to Phoenix, AZ in 1994 as a result of a job change, he found the birds to be a lot different and went through a rapid period of learning new species and new forms of species East. Richard is also a very active Member of our PhotoMigrations community and is a regular contributor to our forums. Please feel free to email him HERE and be sure to visit his website located at: Birds in Nature - Images of Wild Birds.