Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
Pratt-NorthernMockingbird-sj


15. Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) __________________________

Mimus polyglottos translates as the mimic of many tongues.

"The Indians, by way of eminence or admiration, call it
Cencontlatolly, or four hundred tongues; and we call it Mock-Bird,
from its wonderful mocking and imitating the notes of all Birds,
from the Humming Bird to the Eagle."
-Mark Catesby

I had never seen a mockingbird till moving down here.

The mockingbird is known to flash it's wings, and will usually
find the highest perch in the area for singing it's repertoire,
often the very top of a utility pole.

The mockingbirds down here tend to do a good job at imitating the
birds in the neighborhood but I usually can differentiate between
the real and the mimic; he usually fakes me out when he imitates a
blue jay ... I often find myself looking around for big blue.