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Arkansas State Bird
Northern Mockingbird
The Northern Mockingbird was adopted as the Arkansas State Bird by the General
Assembly of 1929.
- Official Arkansas State Bird Name: Mockingbird
- American Ornithologists Union Common Name: Northern
Mockingbird
- Family: Mimidae, Mockingbirds, Thrashers
- Scientific name: Mimus polyglottos
- Length: 10" (25 cm)
- Diet: Insects, fruit; includes crayfish, sowbugs, snails, few small
vertebrates; berries.
- Voice:
Listen to Northern Mockingbird Song and calls
(recorded by Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Song of varied phrases in regimented series: each
phrase repeated 2-6 times, then an obvious pause followed by a
different series krrDEE-krrDEE-krrDEE, jeurrrdi jeurrrdi jeurrrdi...;
most phrases musical; many imitations of other species. Call a harsh,
dry chak; harsher and longer than blackbirds; aggressive call a
high, wheezy skeeech.
- Habitat: Found in a variety of habitats including
towns, farms, roadsides, thickets.
- Displays: Male and female perform mating"dance"
facing each other with heads and tails high, darting at each other and
retreating; may also serve as territorial display, often occurring
between males.
- Number of broods: 2, occasionally 3 or 4
- Nest: Usually in coniferous or deciduous tree
(3-10' above ground), also occasionally in vines; of twigs, lined with
grass, rootlets. Male usually builds foundation, female lines it.
Built in 4-8 days.
- Eggs: Averages 3-5 blue-green eggs, usually
heavily marked with browns; 1.0" (24 mm).
- Incubation period: 12-13 days
- Fledge: 11-13 days after hatching
- Longevity Record: 14 Years and 10 months (according to USGS
Bird Banding Lab)
 Get
this cute
Singing Mockingbird Plush Toy. Design input from Audubon and the
authentic Northern Mockingbird
song is from the world famous Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Click on the link below for the bird coloring page of
the northern mockingbird.
Mockingbirds are considered one of America's favorite backyard birds, and is
the State Bird of four other states besides Arkansas:
Florida,
Mississippi,
Tennessee and
Texas.
Arkansas State Bird Books
Northern Mockingbird Coloring Page
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