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Mimus polyglottos

(Jamaican mockingbird)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Creoles and Pidgins, French:

Gwive Blan

Common Names in Czech:

Drozdec Mnohohlas

Common Names in Danish:

Nordlig Spottedrossel

Common Names in Delaware:

T

Common Names in Dutch:

Spotlijster

Common Names in English:

Common Mockingbird, Jamaican mockingbird, Northern Mockingbird

Common Names in Estonian:

Taidur-Pilalind

Common Names in Faroese:

Vongr

Common Names in Finnish:

Taiturimatkija

Common Names in French:

moqueur polyglotte

Common Names in German:

Spottdrossel

Common Names in Haitian Creole French:

Rosiy

Common Names in Icelandic:

Hermifugl

Common Names in Italian:

Mimo poliglotto

Common Names in Japanese:

Maneshitsugumi, マネシツグミ

Common Names in Latin:

Mimus polyglottos

Common Names in Lithuanian:

Daugiabalsis Megd

Common Names in Mayan languages:

X-Col-Col-Chek X-Kok

Common Names in Norwegian:

Sangspottefugl

Common Names in Polish:

Przedrzezniacz P

Common Names in Portuguese:

Tejo-Da-Praia

Common Names in Portuguese (Brazil):

Sabi

Common Names in Slovak:

Drozdec Mnohohlas

Common Names in Spanish:

Centzontle Norte, Centzontle norteño, Centzontle norteño, Sinsonte Com, Sinsonte común

Common Names in Spanish (Cuba):

Sinsonte

Common Names in Spanish (Dominican Republic):

Rossignol

Common Names in Spanish (Mexico):

Centzontle Norte

Common Names in Swedish:

Nordlig H, Nordlig härmtrast

Common Names in Turkish:

Taklit

Description

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Physical Description

Adult : Bill: blackish Length : short Body: Underparts: gray-white Upperparts: medium gray Tail: blackish gray with white outer feathers Length: long.

Color:

Light gray above and whitish-gray below. During flight, large white patches are visible on the dark gray wings and white outer tail feathers are conspicuous on the dark gray tail. The bill and legs are dark.

Size/Age/Growth

About 9-10 inches long, with a wingspan of 13 to 15 inches. Adults weigh about 1.7 ounces .

Habitat

The Northern Mockingbird lives in a wide variety of natural and human-modified areas and is common in suburban areas and towns.

Vegetation: arid lowland scrubs, arid montane scrubs, arid lowland scrubs, second-growth scrub, tropical lowland evergreen forest, second-growth forests and woodlands, tropical deciduous forests • Maximum Elevation: 3,100 meters • Foraging Strata: Canopy • Center of Abundance: Lower subtropical: lowlands, lower than 500 m.; subtropics. • Sensitivity to Disturbance: Low

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 3,793 meters (0 to 12,444 feet).[1]

Ecology: List of Habitats :

Biology

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Diet

Mockingbirds eat a wide variety of food items, including insects, berries , earthworms, and occasionally small lizards.

Reproduction

The breeding season lasts from late February through September. Nests are built 1-3 m (3-10 ft ) above ground in shrubs and trees . Males build the nest cup with twigs , and females line the nest with grass . The female lays 3 - 5 greenish-blue eggs heavily marked with brown spots and squiggles. The female incubates these for 12 days, and the young are altricial when they hatch . Both the male and female feed the young, which fledge after spending 12 days in the nest.

Migration

Northern populations migrate; most are nonmigratory

Behavior

In addition to being well-known for its extensive song repertoire, the Mockingbird is notorious for its conspicuous and aggressive nest defense. Mockingbirds are often seen chasing large birds such as crows and hawks away from their nests. Common predators include hawks, owls, and snakes .

When Mockingbirds sing, they mimic the songs of other birds, animals, and even machinery. Several different songs are sung consecutively, and each song is usually repeated twice before switching to a different song.

Taxonomy

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Last Revised: 2012-05-02