Northern mockingbird
Chapter 5: More about Song Learning
Subchapter: Mimicry
From page 73 in the book.
Photo by Marie Read
♫335. Example 1. Mimicry of so many species. This list of the mimicked species I identify here also occurs in the book. Recording numbers in parentheses refer you to sample recordings of the model species. May 6, 2004. Willis Church, Glendale, Virginia. (7:24)
0:03, house sparrow (♫363-368)
0:30, northern flicker klee-yer! call
0:50, purple martin (♫514)
1:10, blue jay (♫356-460)
1:47, common yellowthroat (♫210-221)
2:00, common yellowthroat (♫210-221)
2:07, great crested flycatcher (♫477-478)
2:14, northern flicker klee-yer! call
2:21, blue jay (♫356-460)
2:37, Carolina wren (♫167)
2:48, northern cardinal (♫400-403)
For ♫338-♫342, See Explore 34.
2:56, Carolina wren (♫167)
3:07, eastern bluebird (♫479)
3:20, purple martin? (♫514)
3:29, blue jay (♫356-460)
3:47, wood thrush (♫116, 439)
4:18, northern cardinal (♫400-403)
4:27, tufted titmouse (♫391, 392)
5:01, northern flicker klee-yer! call
5:04, blue jay (♫356-460)
5:12, killdeer? (♫33, 34)
5:32, eastern phoebe! FEE-bee song (♫148, 154)
6:04, great crested flycatcher? (♫477-478)
6:16, belted kingfisher?
6:19, wood thrush (♫116, 439)
6:27, common yellowthroat (♫210-221)
6:40, purple martin (♫514)
6:48, blue jay (♫356-460)
6:53, house finch (♫90-93)
7:01, tufted titmouse (♫391, 392)
♫336. Example 2, an equally fine mimic, telling of robins, cardinals, flickers, blue jays, killdeer, great crested flycatchers, and more. May 19, 2010. Lake Anna State Park, Spotsylvania, Virginia. (7:05) In the first minute, the most obvious mimicries that I hear are the following (this list also occurs in the book):
0:02-0:07, American robin (♫18-20)
0:09, American robin (a different call) (♫18-20)
0:16, swallow calls
0:17, northern cardinal (♫400-403)
0:26-0:29, northern flicker wik-wik song (♫69)
0:38-0:42, blue jay calls (♫356-460)
0:42, killdeer (♫33, 34)
0:48, 0:53, great crested flycatcher (♫477-478)
♫337. Example 3; western mockingbirds have an entirely different repertoire of mimicked sounds. June 7, 2008. Lake Scott State Park, Scott City, Kansas. (10:17)
I hear the following (examples also listed in book's text):
Western kingbird (0:00-0:08, 0:41-0:48, 3:43-3:56, 6:49-6:52) (♫613)
Black-billed magpie (same calls at 0:08-0:12, 7:03)
Rock wren. So much material reminds one of rock wren songs (e.g., 0:13-0:31, most of 3:56-4:46, 7:06-7:22, 8:58-9:02) (♫405, ♫406)
American robin (0:33-0:40) (♫18-20)
Northern cardinals (1:45-1:47, 3:31-3:35, 6:58-7:01, 8:35-8:41) (♫400-403)
House sparrow (2:15-2:31, 8:43) (♫363-368)
Northern flicker wik-wik-wik song? (2:52-2:58) (♫69)
Great crested flycatcher (4:49); a single call (♫477, ♫478)
Brown thrasher (4:53-5:03) (♫84, 234-237, 411-417, 651)
Red-headed woodpecker (same kwirr call at 5:21-5:31, 9:26-9:36)
Northern bobwhite (5:34-5:41) (♫136)
Killdeer (7:01-7:03) (♫33, ♫34)
For ♫338-♫342, see Explore 34.