The Mockingbird - Nature's Greatest Mimic

* Only males without mates sing at night.

* Mockingbirds are usually monogamous for a breeding season, sometimes for life.

* Mockingbirds are fiercely aggressive in defending their nests and territory, especially during the mating season.

* Female mockingbirds will produce new eggs in another nest while the males take care of the older fledglings, feeding them and teaching them to fly.

* Scientists have found that female mockingbirds are attracted to males that can make the most different sounds.

* Mockingbirds are the state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas and one of the few birds found in every kind of habitat, from desert to forest to city.

* Mockingbirds are thought to raise and lower their wings in order to scare up a meal of insects, frighten snakes and impress their mates.

The Mockingbird has a rich repertoire of sounds and can imitate other birds, animals, humans and even machines; pretty much whatever is in its environment. He usually repeats a song phrase a few times and then moves on to another phrase. His own song is delightfully varied and lilting.

The males sing profusely during the breeding season to mark their territory. A male mockingbird can have around 150 different songs. These songs may change during his lifetime and increase in number as he gets older. Unmated males will sing all night long. Females sing as well, but are usually quieter.

If you live somewhere in the vicinity of North America, you have probably seen the Northern Mockingbird. The known range of this bird includes Southern Canada, most of the continental United States, the Bahamas, much of the Caribbean and Mexico about as far south as Oaxaca and Veracruz. It is even thought that the Mockingbird has been a visitor to Great Britain.

Though they are found over a wide range, mockingbirds are mostly non-migratory. There is some local migration between breeding and winter territories. This occurs mostly in the northern range and may extend up to 500 miles.

Mockingbirds like to live in parklands, cultivated land or in second growth areas at low elevations. They are commonly found in the suburbs and favor mowed lawns. Although they do not like to live in heavy forests, they can be found at the forest's edge.

The Mockingbird is omnivorous. This means he likes to eat many things like insects, fruits, earthworms and even small lizards. He will protect his feeding territory from other birds or animals who compete for the same foods. Mockingbirds will sometimes fly into a neighboring territory to steal food.

It is his habit to forage for insects on the ground. He will also knock a large flying insect to the ground with his wings and chest, then grab it in his bill. He mainly eats fruit while perched on a branch or shrub. It is common to see the Mockingbird hopping around and flashing his wings. Perhaps he is trying to scare bugs out of their hiding place.