Sep 08 2008
Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos
This little fella has been watching the Flotsam Four take our morning walks for several months now. He is a Mockingbird (mimus polyglottos), the state bird of Florida. And Arkansas. And Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.
(click on picture to see a 1200 x 900 image)
They are known for their song, which is, as I understand it, a collection of other bird species songs. The individual song differs in makeup for each mockingbird. It is thought that the female picks her mate based on the song, both complexity and duration. They are usually monogamous for the season, and some birds have returned to their mate for eight consecutive years, the life span of the bird.
The mockingbird does well in urban environments, liking freshly cut lawns that expose beetles, ants, grasshoppers and wasps, some of their favorite things. During the two week nesting period, they may defend their nest with swooping attacks to scare off what they feel is a threat. If you spot a mockingbird nest, you should stay away, as a breeding pair may abandon nests with eggs that have been molested. And since the bird is the the state bird of Florida, it is protected from molestation.