Mockingbirds
Mimids
Mockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds from the Mimidae family. They are best known for the habit of some species mimicking the songs of other birds, often loudly and in rapid succession. Mockingbirds also have a reputation of being fierce defenders of their nests. Both male and female mockingbirds will attack or feign diving attacks on both domestic and wild felines, canines, crows and other birds, even hawks, as well as humans who venture too close to their nest. They will even cooperate in groups to do so at times. Other defensive tactics involve aggressive vocalizations and adults acting wounded on the ground as a lure to draw predators away from the nest site.
Most species are tropical, but the Northern Mockingbird breeds throughout the United States and Canada, including the northern Caribbean area. There are about 17 species in three genera. These do not appear to form a monophyletic lineage: Mimus and Nesomimus are quite closely related; their closest living relatives appear to be some thrashers, such as the Sage Thrasher. Melanotis is more distinct; it seems to represent a very ancient basal lineage of Mimidae.(Hunt et al. 2001, Barber et al. 2004)
Most species are tropical, but the Northern Mockingbird breeds throughout the United States and Canada.
Genus Melanotis - blue mockingbirds (2 species)
- Blue Mockingbird (Melanotis caerulescens): Found in Mexico and the United States. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, and heavily degraded former forest.
- Blue-and-white Mockingbird (Melanotis hypoleucus) : Found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and heavily degraded former forest.
Genus Mimus (Typical Mockingbirds)
Genus Nesomimus: A genus of bird in the Mimidae family, the mockingbirds, catbirds and thrashers. The genus is endemic to the Galápagos Islands. The species were important in Charles Darwin's development of the theory of evolution by natural selection. It contains the following species:
- Hood Mockingbird (Nesomimus macdonaldi)
- Galápagos Mockingbird (Nesomimus parvulus): Endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
- Floreana Mockingbird (Nesomimus trifasciatus): Endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
Genetic tests have shown that mockingbirds are most closely related to starlings.
Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia.org
Related Web Resources: Mockingbird Photos (Photos - Birding Forum) ... The Texas State Bird: Mockingbird (Photo, Info, Song & Calls) ... Mockingbirds - Bullies & Songsters ... The Texas State Bird - Songs & Calls of a Mockingbird ... Galapagos ... Bluebirds, Veery, Thrush, Robins, Catbirds, Mockingbirds: Eggs, Incubation and Fledging Times
- Bahama Mockingbirds: Amazilia.net ... Wildflorida.org ... Southfloridabirding.com
- Galápagos Mockingbirds: Geometer ... Images from the Galápagos Islands - 1997
- Northern Mockingbirds
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