Northern Mockingbird

The Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos, is a lovely thrush-like bird in the mockingbird family, Mimidae. Mimus polyglottos means "many-tounged mimic," do to their ability to imitate the songs of many birds. Some mockingbirds can learn up to two hundred songs in their lifetime. In 1927, Florida declared Mimus polyglottos its state bird. It is the third most popular state bird, also being the state bird of Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas. The Northern Mockingbird has a lovely golden eye, reminiscent of hawks. They hop along the ground, looking for insects. When in flight, they have a vibrant white stripe along their wings. They appear to be looking on their toes frequently too. They nest in shrubs. The mockingbird is subject of many songs and books, and had a serious population decline in the 1800s when they were popular cage birds. They have now rebounded from the decline, and are not in danger of serious declines. Northern Mockingbirds have been found to be quite intelligent, too, recognizing humans which have intruded them before.