northern mockingbird

spotted in Edinburg, texas taking a drink at a waterhole.
The Northern Mockingbird is a medium-sized mimid that has long legs and tail.[9] Male and female look alike. Its upper parts are colored gray, while its underparts have a white or whitish-gray color.[11] It has parallel wing bars on the half of the wings connected near the white patch giving it a distinctive appearance in flight.The black central rectrices and typical white lateral rectrices are also noticeable in flight.[11] The iris is usually a light green-yellow or a yellow, but there have been instances of an orange color. The bill is black with a brownish black appearance at the base.The juvenile appearance is marked by its streaks on its back, distinguished spots and streaks on its chest, and a gray or grayish-green iris.

Northern mockingbirds measure from 20.5 to 28 cm (8.1 to 11 in) including a tail almost as long as its body. The wingspan can range from 31–38 cm (12–15 in) and body mass is from 40–58 g (1.4–2.0 oz). Males tend to be slightly larger than females.Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in), the tail is 10 to 13.4 cm (3.9 to 5.3 in), the culmen is 1.6 to 1.9 cm (0.63 to 0.75 in) and the tarsus is 2.9 to 3.4 cm (1.1 to 1.3 in).

The Northern Mockingbird's lifespan is observed to be up to 8 years, but captivated birds can live up to 20 years