The Northern Mockingbird couldn’t sing in the newspaper photo, but he found a festive place to wish you a happy holiday along with some of his favorite things, berries.
If you hear a multitude of bird songs in your garden, you likely have a Northern Mockingbird, which plain gray-brown coloring is quickly appreciated with its great personality and songs. One imitated my cell phone ring so well, I tried to answer the phone!
The State Bird of Texas, the Northern Mockingbird is a year round resident throughout the US and Mexico. Very territorial, these birds can put on quite a show.
The fledglings show the same plucky personality. They have a more mottled breast than the mature birds gray breast.
They love all kinds of berries, but eat insects in the summer. Expect to see them throughout the garden, feeding on the ground or in hedges and trees. Besides song, their antics to protect their territory make this medium songbird a real standout.
The final picture shows two young birds whose breasts are still mottled. But the songs just belt forth all day . . . with infinite variety of these great songwriters and mimics. To learn more about their songs, calls, and "chaks" visit Cornell's All About Birds.
Photos copyrighted by Quail Valley resident and international birder Margaret Sloan. View her international and national bird pictures by pressing this link. View her full photo album of local birds, Birds of Quail Valley by pressing this link.
Learn how to attract birds to your garden, enjoy the Quail Valley Garden's Club visit and tour of Margaret's backyard.
Blog edited by Janice Scanlan.
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