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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:
Listen to Northern Mockingbird Song
(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
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."
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.
Florida State Bird Books
Coloring page of the Northern Mockingbird
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