Arkansas State Bird

Arkansas State Bird: Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos

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Arkansas State Bird Description:

Size: 8 to 10 inches (21-26 cm)
Wingspan: 12 to 14 inches (31-35 cm)
Weight: 1.59 to 2.05 ounces (45-58 g)

The Northern Mockingbird is a medium sized songbird. It ispale grey on the top and white below with two white wing bars and largewhite patches that show on the wings in flight. The tail is longwith white outer tail feathers. The males and the females lookthe same.

Habitat:

The Northern Mockingbird lives in thickets, woodland edges,parks and gardens, favouring more open areas, open grounds and shrubbyvegetation. It's also found in towns.

Range:

Can be found from southern Canada, southward to southern Mexico and theCaribbean. It's introduced in Bermuda and Hawaii. It breeds fromnorthern California, eastern Nebraska, Southern Ontario and AtlanticCanada southward to southern Mexico.

Diet:

Forages on ground and from perches. Picks fruit whileperched on branch, but may hover to get some fruit. Also eats berries,spiders and insects (beetles, ants, bees, wasps, and grasshoppers),earthworms and small lizards.

Nesting:

The female Northern Mockingbird builds its nest in a depression onthe ground. She shapes it by digging in the dirt with her bill. Shethen lines the depression with soft grass and makes a roof by pullinggrass and plants over the depression. She then weaves in grass to makea waterproof dome, leaving enough space for an opening.

The clutch contains 3 to 7 eggs and the incubation period isabout 12 days. The meadowlark usually has two broods a year.The male protects the nest by noisily chasing intruders away.

A Few Things You Probably Didn't Know About the ArkansasState Bird:

The nest of the Northern Mockingbird issometimes left open. It is usually at least partially covered by awaterproof roof made from woven grass. It may even have a complete roofand an entrance tunnel several feet long.
The male uses visual display behaviors toattract a mate. When he finds a female that he wants to mate with, hepoints his bill in the air, puffs out his yellow throat and flaps hiswings above his head. If that doesn't get the female's attention,he hops up and down.
A male Northern Mockingbird usually hastwo mates at the same time. The females do all the incubation andbrooding, and most of the feeding of the young.

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