BirdNote: Mockingbird

CURWOOD: It's Living on Earth, I'm Steve Curwood. BIRDNOTE/MOCKING BIRD [BIRD NOTE THEME ] CURWOOD: Those of us up in the northern part of North America are starting to think about getting out into our gardens – at last – but already the cardinals are singing loudly outside the windows. And as Michael Stein explains in today's BirdNote, they're not alone. The Mockingbird A Virtuoso of Variety Northern Mockingbird Perched. (Tom Grey) [NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD SONG] STEIN: Some birds have a lot to say. But few surpass the Northern Mockingbird. [SONG OF NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD] Within its range in the US, which is most of the country except the northern West and Midwest, youll recognize the mockingbirds song instantly. [SONG OF NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD] A very distinctive song, but perhaps not a thing of beauty. Northern Mockingbird (Kenneth Cole Schneider) But while the mockingbird may not sing beautifully, its a virtuoso of variety, persistence, and mimicry. Mockingbirds sing all year in the breeding season to attract mates, the rest of the year to claim feeding territories. In spring, a male mockingbird sings all day, hundreds of variations then sings all through the night! [MOCKINGBIRD] The aptly named mockingbird is also an uncanny mimic. A mockingbird might imitate, in succession, birds as different as a bobwhite quail, a chat, a sandpiper even a cardinal – then cap it off with meow of a cat and a few phrases of car alarm. [SELECTION WITH MIMICS] And hes just getting warmed up. [MOCKINGBIRD] [LONG RUN OF THE SONG OF THE NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD] ### http://birdnote.org/show/mockingbird-virtuoso-variety Written by Bob Sundstrom Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds (ML) at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Songs of the Mockingbird [94375] and [94374] and [85197] recorded by W. Hershberger; and [118628] recorded by G.A. Keller. Producer: John Kessler Executive Producer: Chris Peterson 2014 Tune In to Nature.org March 2014 Narrator: Michael Stein CURWOOD: For photos of the mockingbird looking like himself, not some other bird, hop on over to our website LOE.org.

Do you support journalism that strengthens our democracy?

At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.

Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!