| Mockingbird | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Superfamily: | Muscicapoidea |
| Family: | Mimidae |
| Genera | |
Mockingbirds are a group ofNew Worldpasserine birds from thefamilyMimidae. They are best known for the habit of some speciesmimicking the songs of other birds and the sounds of insects and amphibians,[1] often loudly and in rapid succession and for being extremelyterritorial when raising hatchlings. Studies have shown the ability of some species to identify individual humans and treat them differently based on learned threat assessments.[2]
The only mockingbird commonly found in North America is thenorthern mockingbird. Mockingbirds are known for singing late at night, even past midnight.[3]
They are opportunistic omnivores, feeding on insects, fruits, seeds, and occasional greens.[4]
The northern mockingbird is the state bird of five states in the United States, a trend that was started in 1920, when theTexas Federation of Women's Clubs proposed the idea. In January 1927, GovernorDan Moody approved this, andTexas became the first state ever to choose a state bird. Since then,Arkansas,Florida,Mississippi, andTennessee have also adopted the northern mockingbird as their official state bird.[5]
There are about 17species in twogenera, although three species of mockingbird from the Galápagos Islands were formerly separated into a third genus,Nesomimus. The mockingbirds do not appear to form amonophyletic lineage, asMimus andMelanotis are not each other's closest relatives; instead,Melanotis appears to be more closely related to thecatbirds, while the closest living relatives ofMimus appear to bethrashers, such as thesage thrasher.[6][7]
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Mimus:
FormerlyNesomimus (endemic to theGalapagos):
Melanotis:
When thesurvey voyage of HMSBeagle visited theGalápagos Islands in September to October 1835, the naturalistCharles Darwin noticed that the mockingbirdsMimus thenca differed from island to island, and were closely allied in appearance to mockingbirds on theSouth American mainland. Nearly a year later when writing up his notes on the return voyage he speculated that this,[8] together with what he had been told aboutGalápagos tortoises, could undermine the doctrine of stability of species. This was his first recorded expression of doubts about species beingimmutable, which led to his being convinced about thetransmutation of species and henceevolution.[9]
