If you're a birder, you'll know what a life list is. It's basically a list of all the bird species one has observed and positively ID'd in one's lifetime. This blog is a record of my "critter" life list (mostly of birds), including photos I've taken over the years, some of the actual lifer if I was lucky enough to get the shot. Don't expect National Geographic quality stuff here, just the work of an amateur photog who loves to trudge out into nature.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

2/2/2002 Los Angeles County Arboretum, Arcadia, Los Angeles County, CA

LIFE LIST NOTES:

COMMON NAME: Northern Mockingbird

SPECIES: Mimus polyglottos

FAMILY: Mimidae (Mockingbirds & Thrashers)

LIFE LIST DATE5/13/2001

LOCATION: Spring Trail, Box Spring Mountain Park, Moreno Valley, Riverside County, CA

From Stokes Field Guide to Birds-Western Region & Kaufman Focus Guide-Birds of North America

HABITAT/BEHAVIOR: Familiar in warmer climates, in cities, farms, woodland edges, desert. Often seen running on lawns, stopping to spread its wings abruptly. Eats mostly insects in summer, also many berries in winter. May sing all night on moonlit nights. Most common in south, it is called "Northern" because other mockingbirds live in the tropics.

IDENTIFYING MARKS: 11"; gray above; whitish below; white outer feathers on long tail; small white patch on lower edge of folded wing. In flight: bold white patches on wings.  

VOICE: Song mimics other birds', each version repeated 3 or more times; calls include a raspy chjjj and a loud chewk.

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