A seemingly endless amount of effort goes into the beautiful songs of the Northern Mockingbird, which can sometimes sound like multiple birds singing rather than just one. These birds were once so sought after as house pets for their lovely songs; they almost completely vanished from areas of the eastern coast of North America.
Today, the population remains at a healthy level and Northern Mockingbirds continually add more songs to their repertoires throughout their entire lives.
Where to Find the Northern Mockingbird
This songbird covers pretty much the entire continental United States, some southern regions of certain provinces in Canada and as far south as Mexico and Cuba and the Caribbean. In most areas, this bird is a year-round resident and is often found in populated areas like towns, suburbs and public parklands. These birds love areas featuring hedges, fruit bushes and trees and thickets for shelter.
Identification
Outside of recognizing their songs, the medium-sized Northern Mockingbird can be identified fairly easily, once you know what to look for. These birds feature a grayish-brown plumage, which turns to a more pale looking colouring on their breast and belly. A tell-tale marking of this mockingbird is their duo of white wingbars on each of their wings. When perched, a white patch is often visible, but while in flight, these white wingbars are displayed as large white flashes which are tough to miss.
Vocals
The cornerstone of this species is undoubtedly their songs, sung by both the male and female of the species. These clever birds never really stop learning new songs and have the ability to mimic the sounds of a variety of birds around them. Unmated males can often be heard throughout the day into the evening hours which is usually made up of a long series of phrases each repeated 2-6 times in succession.