Northern Mockingbird

The northern mockingbird is a medium-sized songbird native to most of the United States, southern Canada and Mexico, named for its extraordinary ability to mimic the songs and calls of dozens of other bird species as well as other sounds, often stringing many different phrases together in long, varied songs, sometimes performed through the night. It has plain grey-brown plumage set off by white patches on the wings and tail that flash conspicuously in flight. Mockingbirds are highly territorial, aggressively defending their nesting areas against birds, cats and even people who venture too close, and they feed on a mixed diet of insects, berries and fruit that shifts seasonally. The species is common across parks, gardens and open country, and it is the state bird of five U.S. states.