Mockingbird

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Mockingbird (disambiguation).

iMockingbirds
Northern Mockingbird
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Mimidae
Genera
Melanotis Mimodes Mimus Nesomimus

Mockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds best known for the habit of some species mimicking the songs of other birds, often loudly and in rapid succession.

Most species are tropical, but the Northern Mockingbird breeds throughout the United States and Canada. There are 17 species in four genera.

Genus Melanotis

• Blue Mockingbird Melanotis caerulescens
• Blue-and-white Mockingbird Melanotis hypoleucus

Genus Mimodes

• Socorro Mockingbird Mimodes graysoni

Genus Mimus

• Brown-backed Mockingbird Mimus dorsalis
• Tropical Mockingbird Mimus gilvus
• Bahama Mockingbird Mimus gundlachii
• Long-tailed Mockingbird Mimus longicaudatus
• Large-billed Mockingbird Mimus magnirostris
• Patagonian Mockingbird Mimus patagonicus
• Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
• Chalk-browed Mockingbird Mimus saturninus
• Chilean Mockingbird Mimus thenca
• White-banded Mockingbird Mimus triuris

Genus Nesomimus (Galápagos Islands)

• Española Mockingbird Nesomimus mcdonaldi
• San Cristóbal Mockingbird Nesomimus melanotis
• Galápagos Mockingbird Nesomimus parvulus
• Floreana Mockingbird Nesomimus trifasciatus (extremely rare)

Genetic tests have shown that mockingbirds are most closely related to starlings.

[edit] See also

• Mimid

[edit] External links

• Article connecting Galapagos mockingbird species with mainland relatives
• An image
• Mockingbird videos on the Internet Bird Collection