Bahama Mockingbird

Mimus gundlachiiOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Mockingbirds and Thrashers (Mimidae)

Codes: Common Name: BAMO Scientific Name: MIMGUN ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178623

Breeding Location:

Bushes, shrubs, and thickets

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Rare in North America

Egg Color:

Creamy white to light pink with brown markings

Number of Eggs:

2 - 6

Incubation Days:

12 - 13

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Sticks, stems, dried leaves, fiber, paper, bits of fabric, and string., Lined with fine materials.

Migration:

Nonmigratory

General

Bahama Mockingbird: Medium-sized mockingbird with gray-brown upperparts and dark-streaked, pale gray underparts. Wings are dark with two white bars and white feather edges. Tail is long and white-tipped. Sexes are similar. Juvenile lacks dark streaks.

Range and Habitat

Bahama Mockingbird: Breeds throughout the Bahama Islands south to the Turks Bank north of Hispaniola, on cays along the northern coast of Cuba, and in an isolated region of dry limestone forests along the southern Jamaican coast. In Florida, the Bahama Mockingbird is rare but regular along the southeast coast. Preferred habitats include dry scrub.

Breeding and Nesting

Bahama Mockingbird: Two to six creamy white to light pink eggs with brown marks are laid in a cup nest made of sticks, stems, dried leaves, fiber, paper, bits of fabric, and string, and lined with finer materials. Nest is built by both parents in a shrub or low tree. Incubation ranges from 12 to 13 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Bahama Mockingbird: Eats various insects, spiders, berries, fruits, and occasionally small reptiles.

Readily Eats

Suet, Sunflower Seed, Nuts

Vocalization

Bahama Mockingbird: Song is a variety of musical melodies that are loud and varied "cheewee, chipwee, chipwoo, cheewoo." Call is a grating "check" or "chup." Unlike the Northern Mockingbird, does not imitate other birds or animals.

Similar Species

Bahama Mockingbird: Northern Mockingbird is smaller, grayer overall with white wing patches, white outer tail feathers on black tail, and lacks streaks on neck, back, and flanks.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Bahama Mockingbird

Bahama Mockingbird: Medium mockingbird with gray-brown upperparts and dark-streaked, pale gray underparts. Wings are dark with two white bars and white feather edges. Tail is long and white-tipped. Legs and feet are dark gray. Eats insects, spiders, small reptiles, berries and fruits.

● Song: "cheewee, chipwee, chipwoo, cheewoo"

● Foraging & Feeding: Bahama Mockingbird: Eats various insects, spiders, berries, fruits, and occasionally small reptiles.

● Breeding & nesting: Bahama Mockingbird: Two to six creamy white to light pink eggs with brown marks are laid in a cup nest made of sticks, stems, dried leaves, fiber, paper, bits of fabric, and string, and lined with finer materials. Nest is built by both parents in a shrub or low tree. Incubation ranges from 12 to 13 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Bahama Mockingbird: Northern Mockingbird is smaller, grayer overall with white wing patches, white outer tail feathers on black tail, and lacks streaks on neck, back, and flanks.

Flight Pattern

Rather swift direct flight with purposeful wing strokes.

Bahama Mockingbird Breeding Male Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Bahama Mockingbird: Breeds throughout the Bahama Islands south to the Turks Bank north of Hispaniola, on cays along the northern coast of Cuba, and in an isolated region of dry limestone forests along the southern Jamaican coast. In Florida, the Bahama Mockingbird is rare but regular along the southeast coast. Preferred habitats include dry scrub.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationRare in North America

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight2.4 Ounces

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America