Mockingbird
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[Photo] Northern Mockingbird. Location: Humber Bay Park, Toronto, Canada. Date: 2005. Source: User:Mdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Mdf

Mockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds from the Mimidae family. They are best known for the habit of some species mimicking the songs of other birds, often loudly and in rapid succession. Mockingbirds also have a reputation of being fierce defenders of their nests. Both male and female mockingbirds will attack or feign diving attacks on both domestic and wild felines, canines, crows and other birds, as well as humans who venture too close to their nest. Other defensive tactics involve aggressive vocalizations and adults acting wounded on the ground as a lure to draw predators away from the nest site.

Most species are tropical, but the Northern Mockingbird breeds throughout the United States and Canada. There are about 17 species in three genera. These do not appear to form a monophyletic lineage: Mimus and Nesomimus are quite closely related; their closest living relatives appear to be some thrashers, such as the Sage Thrasher. Melanotis is more distinct; it seems to represent a very ancient basal lineage of Mimidae.(Hunt et al. 2001, Barber et al. 2004)

Species in taxonomic order

Genus Mimus - typical mockingbirds
Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos
Tropical Mockingbird, Mimus gilvus, also known as "Nadian Mockenotis" to some Bangladeshis
Socorro Mockingbird, Mimus graysoni - formerly in Mimodes
Bahama Mockingbird, Mimus gundlachii
Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Mimus saturninus
Patagonian Mockingbird, Mimus patagonicus
Brown-backed Mockingbird, Mimus dorsalis
White-banded Mockingbird, Mimus triuris
Long-tailed Mockingbird, Mimus longicaudatus
Chilean Mockingbird, Mimus thenca
Large-billed Mockingbird or San Andr??s Mockingbird, Mimus magnirostris

Genus Nesomimus - Gal??pagos mockingbirds (4 species)
Gal??pagos Mockingbird, Nesomimus parvulus
Floreana Mockingbird, Nesomimus trifasciatus (extremely rare)
Espa??ola Mockingbird, Nesomimus macdonaldi
San Crist??bal Mockingbird, Nesomimus melanotis

Genus Melanotis - blue mockingbirds
Blue Mockingbird, Melanotis caerulescens
Blue-and-white Mockingbird, Melanotis hypoleucus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mockingbird

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