Florida State Bird
Northern Mockingbird

• Official Florida 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, crayfish, sowbugs, snails, few small vertebrates; berries.
• Voice: 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 or shrub (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)

Florida's State Bird is the mockingbird. It lives in Florida year-round and is known for imitating or "mocking" the songs of other birds. Its Latin name means "mimic of many tongues."

Florida Birds

Mockingbirds are considered one of America's favorite backyard birds, and is the State Bird of four other states besides Florida: Arkansas State Bird, Mississippi State Bird, Texas State Bird and Tennessee State Bird.

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