Master Mimic

On this mornings walk around the neighborhood, the songs of Carolina Wren, House Wren, European Starling, Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, American Robin, Brown-headed Cowbird, Carolina Chickadee, Blue Jay, Red-tailed Hawk, or was that a Blue Jay imitating a Red-tail, and Black-billed Cuckoo are all coming from one direction. What is interesting is that it is not nine or ten different species calling, it is one bird mimicking all those species – repeatedly.

Sitting high in a tree on an exposed branch is none other than a Northern Mockingbird – North America’s master mimic. While this might not be the most noteworthy news, his ability to mimic is certainly very impressive.

Mockingbirds belong to the family Mimidae, or mimic thrushes, that include, catbird and thrashers, all known for their extensive vocal repertoire. The aptly named mockingbird’s scientific name Mimus polygottos also refers to it calls; mimus meaning mimic and polygottos meaning many tongues.

The other members of this family that occur here in the east include Brown Thrashers, that have an extraordinary large repertoire, but their vocal mimicry is not nearly as extensive or noticeable as that of the mockingbird. Also, the Gray Catbird, that gets its name from its mewing call, and whose mimicry is far more subdued and often distorted making it tougher to pick out. While both of those have greater repertoires neither can do what the mockingbird can, who is said to be able to have as many as 150 imitations of other bird songs.

Back to the bird I heard. It seemed to enjoy throwing various Blue Jay calls into the mix. And, where did it learn that Black-billed Cuckoo? There can not be many cuckoos, if any, in this neighborhood. Maybe it was from just hearing one on one occasion? Or was it passed on from generation to generation? While the calls of other birds were repeated over and over, why was the cuckoo’s ka-ka-ka only heard once? Is that because it is not a call heard often? A ‘real’ Brown-headed Cowbird even answered the mockingbird back, when it heard its imitation! Yes the mockingbird is that good.