Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
The Northern Mockingbird is a very familiar bird in North America and Mexico. These birds make themselves very conspicuous by singing and perching in prominent locations. We can differentiate mockingbird songs from other thrashers by their phrasing. Mockingbird songs usually have two or three repeated phrases in a row before they switch to another phrase. Both males and females sing, and may have a repertoire of 200 songs. Mockingbirds are fierce defenders of their territory, and few birds, regardless of size, can resist the onslaught once the chase has begun.
The northern limit to the range for these birds extends further north in the eastern USA (to Maine) than in the west (to southern Oregon), and they are year-round residents in all but the most northern zones which they occupy. Texas, Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi all claim the Northern Mockingbird as their state bird. One might argue that the proper name for these birds should be the Southern Mockingbird!
A wide variety of habitats from urban and suburban, to thorny dry deserts are all suitable to these hardy birds. Because I grew up in Southern California, most of my encounters with Mockingbirds have been there, but I’ve found them during my explorations all across the state, and in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. In February 2017, during a scientific expedition to remote islands 600 miles west of Mexico, I met these birds on Isla Socorro, the same island where Socorro Mockingbirds live. Despite the small size of the island, the Northern and the Socorro Mockingbirds did not mix company. The Northern birds kept to the lower elevations, while the Socorro birds maintained territories in the upper elevation cloud forests.
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Resident bird at Cattle Call Park, in Brawley. Imperial County, Southern California USA 2014-11-30. |
Date Taken: 2014:11:30 8:32 |
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Location:
Cattle Call Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/200 |
File Name: D3X2713-NorthernMockingbird |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Resident bird at Cattle Call Park, in Brawley. Imperial County, Southern California USA 2014-11-30. |
Date Taken: 2014:11:30 8:34 |
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Location:
Cattle Call Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/400 |
File Name: D3X2725-NorthernMockingbird |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Resident bird at Cattle Call Park, in Brawley. Imperial County, Southern California USA 2014-11-30. |
Date Taken: 2014:11:30 8:35 |
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Location:
Cattle Call Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: D3X2728-NorthernMockingbird |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Tubb Canyon Trail in Anza-Borrego State Park, near Culp Valley. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:02:26 8:37 |
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Location:
Tubb Canyon Trail |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: D3X3150-NorthernMockingbird |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: (Mimus polyglottos) A watchful eye at Community Park along Rattlesnake Creek in Poway, California. San Diego County USA 2015-01-07. |
Date Taken: 2015:01:07 11:01 |
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Location:
Community Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X4843-NorthernMockingbird |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Merced NWR, south of Merced, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:12:29 10:32 |
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Location:
Merced NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X5998-NorthernMockingBird |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: (Mimus polyglottos) On lookout at Sabino Canyon Reserve in Tucson Arizona USA 2008-11-25. |
Date Taken: 2008:11:25 14:19 |
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Location:
Sabino Canyon |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: jcd2259NorthernMockingbird |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Neighborhood watch near the Catalina Highway in Tucson Arizona USA 2008-11-28. |
Date Taken: 2008:11:28 13:54 |
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Location:
Agua Caliente Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: JCD2987NorthernMockingBird |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Mockers seemed to be the most populous bird at Cattle Call Park, Brawley, California. Imperial County USA 2009-11-25. |
Date Taken: 2009:11:25 10:31 |
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Location:
Cattle Call Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3000 |
File Name: JCD6999.NorthernMockingBird |
| © 2009 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Cattle Call Park, Brawley, California. Imperial County. |
Date Taken: 2009:11:25 11:05 |
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Location:
Cattle Call Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: JCD7023.NorthernMockingBird |
| © 2009 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Cattle Call Park, Brawley, California. Imperial County. |
Date Taken: 2009:11:25 10:32 |
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Location:
Cattle Call Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3000 |
File Name: JCD7001.NorthernMockingBird |
| © 2009 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Juvenile bird at Goodan Ranch, Sycamore Canyon. Poway, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2008:07:12 15:57 |
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Location:
Gooden Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/750 |
File Name: jcd8162NorthernMockingbird-Juvenile |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: The clear leader of the neighborhood watch on the street was this mockingbird in Thatcher Arizona, in the Gila River Valley. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:21 9:52 |
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Location:
West 1st Street |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D5X2138-Thatcher-Arizona |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: The clear leader of the neighborhood watch on the street was this mockingbird in Thatcher Arizona, in the Gila River Valley. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:21 9:52 |
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Location:
West 1st Street |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D5X2143-Thatcher-Arizona |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: The clear leader of the neighborhood watch on the street was this mockingbird in Thatcher Arizona, in the Gila River Valley. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:21 9:54 |
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Location:
West 1st Street |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D5X2203-Thatcher-Arizona |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: The clear leader of the neighborhood watch on the street was this mockingbird in Thatcher Arizona, in the Gila River Valley. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:20 11:16 |
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Location:
West 1st Street |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/6400 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D5X2055-Thatcher-AZ |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: The clear leader of the neighborhood watch on the street was this mockingbird in Thatcher Arizona, in the Gila River Valley. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:20 11:13 |
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Location:
West 1st Street |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D5X1923-Thatcher-AZ |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Horse Thief Springs on the northeastern flanks of the Kingston Mountains is one of the Joseph Grinnell restudy locations taken on by the San Diego Natural History Museum. The site is roughly between Death Valley and Las Vegas Nevada. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:24 6:16 |
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Location:
Mandolin |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D5X1906 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: This mockingbird was set out to give the Groove-Billed Ani a hard time. Our first afternoon on Isla Socorro. The largest of the islands in the Archipielago de Revillagigedo, and part of the state of Colima, Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2017:02:15 16:17 |
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Location:
Marine Base |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/6400 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D5X7958 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: A spotted breast on these birds indicate it is a juvenile. Seen near Cottonwood Springs in Joshua Tree National Park. Riverside County California. |
Date Taken: 2017:06:17 10:25 |
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Location:
Cottonwood Spring |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D5X5378 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: A spotted breast on these birds indicate it is a juvenile. Seen near Cottonwood Springs in Joshua Tree National Park. Riverside County California. |
Date Taken: 2017:06:17 9:54 |
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Location:
Cottonwood Spring |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D5X5244 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: A spotted breast on these birds indicate it is a juvenile. Seen near Cottonwood Springs in Joshua Tree National Park. Riverside County California. |
Date Taken: 2017:06:17 9:58 |
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Location:
Cottonwood Spring |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/6400 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D5X5271 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Cattle Call Park, in Brawley. Imperial County, Southern California. |
Date Taken: 2014:11:30 8:32 |
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Location:
Cattle Call Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/160 |
File Name: D3X2710-NorthernMockingbird |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 9:31 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X6711-NorthernMockingbird |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Mockingbirds dominated the other drinkers at the old Sam Nail Ranch waterhole. When they would arrive by the dozens, all the other birds gave ground. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 10:25 |
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Location:
Sam Nail Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D5X3334-SamNailRanch |
| (C)2019 Jack Daynes |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Mockingbirds dominated the other drinkers at the old Sam Nail Ranch waterhole. When they would arrive by the dozens, all the other birds gave ground. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 10:26 |
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Location:
Sam Nail Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D5X3362-SamNailRanch |
| (C)2019 Jack Daynes |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Emboldened by their numbers, all it took to intimidate most of their neighbors was a stern look. The old water source at the Sam Nail Ranch brought the birds in to drink and bathe. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 10:29 |
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Location:
Sam Nail Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D5X3399-SamNailRanch |
| (C)2019 Jack Daynes |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Mockingbirds dominated the other drinkers at the old Sam Nail Ranch waterhole. When they would arrive by the dozens, all the other birds gave ground. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 10:53 |
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Location:
Sam Nail Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D5X3497-SamNailRanch |
| (C)2019 Jack Daynes |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Mockingbirds dominated the other drinkers at the old Sam Nail Ranch waterhole. When they would arrive by the dozens, all the other birds gave ground. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 11:04 |
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Location:
Sam Nail Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D5X3518-SamNailRanch |
| (C)2019 Jack Daynes |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: These are birds I met at the Gilbert Water Ranch, or Riparian Preserve which is located in the middle of the Valley of the Sun, or the Greater Phoenix Metropolian area, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2020:02:23 7:39 |
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Location:
Gilbert Water Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D5X9854-GilbertArizona |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Northern Mockingbirds sound similar to Brown Thrashers, but repeat phrases in three's, and Brown Thrashers repeat in two's. Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge on the South Texas Coast. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:20 13:39 |
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Location:
Laguna Atscosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/6.3, 1/6400 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D506474-LagunaAtascosa |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: The spotting on the breast of this bird give it away as a juvenile Northern Mockingbird. I met them on my final push home from Texas in 2020 and passed through Brawley, California where I paid a visit to Cattle Call Park. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:28 12:25 |
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Location:
Cattle Call Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird-Juv_D5X6692-CattleCall-Brawley |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: I found mockingbirds nearly everywhere I visited in Texas, including these at a roadside rest area about one hour east of Fort Stockton. I was surprised how many birds I found. There were 3 oriole species, 3 flycatcher species, and cactus wrens. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:09 18:26 |
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Location:
East Pecos County Rest Area |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: NorthernMockingbird_D505618-EastPecosCounty |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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