General

Northern Mockingbird: Medium-sized mockingbird with gray upperparts, paler gray underparts, and faint eyeline. Wings are gray-black with two white bars and large white patches visible when spread. Tail is long, gray, and edged with white. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has dark eye and streaked underparts.

Range and Habitat

Northern Mockingbird: Breeds from northern California, southern Nebraska, southern Ontario, and Maritime Canada southward to southern Mexico and the West Indies. Spends winters in the southern parts of its range. Found in residential areas, city parks, farmlands, open country with thickets, and desert brush.

Breeding and Nesting

Northern Mockingbird: Two to six blue green eggs with brown splotches are laid in a bulky cup nest made of sticks and weed stems, and built in a bush or low tree. Incubation ranges from 12 to 13 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Northern Mockingbird: Diet consists of insects, fruits, crustaceans, and small vertebrates; forages in foliage and on the ground.

Readily Eats

Suet, Sunflower Seed, Nuts

Vocalization

Northern Mockingbird: Song is a long series of musical and grating phrases, each repeated 3 or more times. Often imitates other birds and regularly sings at night. Call is a harsh "chack."

Similar Species

Northern Mockingbird: Shrikes have black masks and thicker bills. Sage Thrasher lacks white wing patches and has darker, more extensive spotting below. Bahama Mockingbird has streaked flanks and lacks wing patches.