Florida State Bird
Florida State Bird: Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
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Florida 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 is
pale grey on the top and white below with two white wing bars and large
white patches that are visible on the wings during flight. The tail
is long with white outer tail feathers. The males and the females look
the same.
Habitat:
The Northern Mockingbird lives in thickets, woodland edges, parks and
gardens. They tend to favour more open areas, open grounds and shrubby
vegetation. They are also found in towns.
Range:
The Florida state bird can be found from southern Canada, southward to
southern Mexico and the Caribbean. They are also found in Bermuda and
Hawaii. They breed from northern California, eastern Nebraska, Southern
Ontario and Atlantic Canada southward to southern Mexico.
Diet:
Forages on the ground and from perches. Picks fruit while
perched 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:
Northern Mockingbirds use
several nests during the breeding season,
laying 2 or 4 eggs in each nest. Each mating pair produces 2 or 3
broods per season, and the male cares for the fledglings while the
female incubates the next clutch.
Nests are open cup style. They are made from dead twigs lined
with grasses, rootlets, and dead leaves. They are constructed low
in shrubs and trees, usually 3-10 feet high.
The clutch contains 2 to 4 eggs and the incubation period is
12 to 13 days.
A Few Things You Probably Didn't Know About the Florida State
Bird:
- The song of the Northern Mockingbird is, in
fact, a medley of the calls of many other birds. Each imitation is
repeated two or three times, then another song is started, all in rapid
succession. It is common for an individual bird to have as
many as 25-30 songs in its repertoire.
- Northern Mockingbirds are highly
territorial and may attack any intruder, including mammals.
It's often seen chasing large birds such as crows and hawks away from
its nest.
- It sings all through the
day, and often into the night. Most nocturnal singers are
unmated males, which sing more than mated males during the day, too.
Nighttime singing is more common during the full moon. In well-lit
areas around people, even mated males may sing at night.
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