Bird Profile: the Northern Mockingbird

If you've lived in the south, you know that Mockingbirds are brave little birds. They'll defend their territory and confront other birds, cats, dogs, and even people who intrude into their space. Sometimes, Mockingbirds work alone and sometimes they seem to work together.

As a kid growing up in Florida, where the Mockingbird is the official statebird, I saw Mockingbirds in action every day. When we played football in our cul-de-sac, we often saw one or two Mockingbirds harassing the elderly neighbor we called "the statue." He was old man who we always saw sitting on his front porch in a wicker chair. He enjoyed watching our games and the world in general. But, when he set foot into his own yard, the Mockingbirds would dive at him from a nearby tree or rooftop. On more than one occasion they managed to knock his baseball cap right off of his head.

At the height of the Cold War, F-106 Delta Dagger fighter planes would zoom over our house and out to see to intercept Russian Bear bombers off our coasts. But, our local Mockingbirds put NORAD to shame. When we ventured out into the backyard, we typically saw three or four Mockingbirds. The Mockingbirds would be on the top of the roof, on a visible branch of a nearby pine tree, or on the topmost branch of a tall shrub. We saw the Mockingbirds and they saw us. They Mockingbirds would make quite a fuss. When our cat slunk out into the yard, the Mockingbird cold war turned hot and they would dive on her from different directions in an attempt to drive her back inside.

One morning long, long, ago, I was sitting inside playing Atari 2600 video games before heading off to junior high school. I heard a tremendous "Whoompf!" from our backyard. I dashed outside and saw our cat lying on her back with paws wrapped around a Mockingbird and her teeth on the Mockingbird's neck. The cat was a little stunned from her collision with the Mockingbird and the Mockingbird was a little stunned from being snatched right out of the sky. I grabbed the completely unharmed Mockingbird, secured the cat, and opened my hand. The indignant Mockingbird simply flew off to fuss at us from afar. The cat walked away mad because she was a rat specialist and the Mockingbird would have been her first victory over an aerial attacker.

Over two decades later, when my wife and I moved to Georgia, we once again encountered aggressive mockingbirds. At the time, we had a three-legged dog who was a little slow on his daily walks around our apartment complex. Mockingbirds would dive at him and try to snatch fur off of his back or from his tail. It is definitely an understatement to say that Mockingbirds are territorial. Mockingbirds can certainly make a backyard interesting.

Mockingbirds do sing alot. Experts write that an adult may know up to 200 songs, can imitate other birds and wildlife, and may even mimic some mechanical noises. Mockingbirds will build a nest and use it only once to lay 2 to 6 eggs. The eggs are incubated for 12 to 13 days and then the birds live in the next for another 12 to 13 days. It is fun to watch the proud and protective antics of Mockingbirds--just make sure you hold onto your hat.

Sources:
What is a Mockingbird? by Mike
http://10000birds.com/mockingbirds.htm

Northern Mockingbird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birdshttp://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_mockingbird/id