Northern Mockingbird

1/640s at f8.0 ISO4000 Canon EOS-1D X w/800mm, x1.4 converter


The Mockingbird usually resides in vacated areas and forest edges. It is usually sighted in farmlands, roadsides, city parks, suburban areas, and open grassy areas with thickets and brushy deserts. When foraging for food, it prefers short grass or sheer substrate. It also has an affinity for mowed lawns. This bird refrains from residing within densely forested areas. The Mockingbirds' breeding range is from Maritime Provinces of Canada westwards to British Columbia, practically the entire Continental United States, and the majority of Mexico to eastern Oaxaca and Veracruz. The Mockingbird is generally a year-round resident of its range, but the birds that live in the northern portion of its range have been noted further south during the winter season. The Northern Mockingbird is an omnivore. The birds' diet consists of arthropods, earthworms, berries, fruits, and seeds. Northern Mockingbird males establish a nesting territory in early February. If a female enters his territory, the male will pursue the female with initial aggressive calls and, if she becomes interested, she replies with softer calls. Northern Mockingbirds tend to be monogamous, and the female may return to the same male from the previous season. Both the male and female are involved in the nest building. The male does most of the work, while the female perches on the shrub or tree where the nest is being built to watch for predators. The nest is built approximately three to ten feet above the ground. The outer part of the nest is composed of twigs, while the inner part is lined with grasses, dead leaves, moss or artificial fibers. The eggs are a light blue or greenish color and speckled with dots. Three to five eggs are laid by the female, and she incubates them for nearly two weeks. Once the eggs are hatched, both the male and female feed the chicks.
Boyce Thompson Arboretum
 
12/15/2017