Mockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds from the Mimidae family. They are best known for their ability to mimic the songs of other birds and the sounds of insects, amphibians, mammals, and even mechanical objects. There are about 17 species of mockingbird, all found in North and South America. The most widespread and well-known species is the Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), which is the state bird of Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Mockingbirds are omnivorous and eat a wide variety of foods including insects, spiders, fruits, berries, and seeds. Their diverse diet allows them to thrive in a variety of habitats from urban and suburban areas to forests, grasslands, thickets, and deserts.
Insects and Spiders
One of the main components of a mockingbird’s diet is insects and spiders. Mockingbirds forage on the ground and in vegetation to find insects to eat. Some of the insects they prey on include beetles, ants, wasps, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and crickets. They use their beak to grab insects on branches or pluck them out of the air while flying. Mockingbirds also eat spiders, hunting for them in bushes, on fences, and along the exterior of houses. Eating insects provides mockingbirds with important proteins and nutrients that support their high metabolism and energetic lifestyle.
| Insect | Species Eaten |
|---|---|
| Beetles | Ground beetles, ladybugs, June bugs, weevils |
| Ants | Carpenter ants, fire ants, harvester ants |
| Wasps | Mud daubers, paper wasps, yellowjackets |
| Caterpillars | Tent caterpillars, woolly bear caterpillars, tomato hornworms |
| Grasshoppers | Differential grasshoppers, red-legged grasshoppers, lubber grasshoppers |
| Crickets | Field crickets, camel crickets, tree crickets |
Fruits and Berries
In addition to insects, mockingbirds also eat a variety of fruits and berries. They often visit gardens, backyards, and orchards to eat cultivated fruits including oranges, grapes, strawberries, mulberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Mockingbirds use their curved beak to pluck fruits off trees and bushes. They also forage for wild berries and fruits growing in fields, forests, and deserts. Some wild fruits mockingbirds are known to eat include serviceberries, chokecherries, sumac, dogwood, juniper, Saskatoon berries, and wild grapes. The sugars in ripe fruits and berries provide mockingbirds with quick energy. Fruits and berries also supply mockingbirds with water, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
| Fruit | Cultivated vs. Wild |
|---|---|
| Oranges | Cultivated |
| Grapes | Cultivated |
| Strawberries | Cultivated |
| Mulberries | Cultivated |
| Raspberries | Cultivated |
| Blackberries | Cultivated |
| Serviceberries | Wild |
| Chokecherries | Wild |
| Sumac | Wild |
| Dogwood | Wild |
| Juniper | Wild |
| Saskatoon berries | Wild |
| Wild grapes | Wild |
Seeds
Mockingbirds also supplement their diet with seeds from grasses, grain crops, weeds, and wildflowers. They use their slender beak to crack open and extract seeds from seed heads and pods. Some seeds mockingbirds commonly eat include millet, amaranth, lamb’s quarters, crabgrass, foxtail, ragweed, sunflower, and thistle. While seeds are lower in nutrients compared to insects and fruits, they do provide mockingbirds with carbohydrates and essential fats. This helps sustain mockingbirds especially in winter when other foods are scarce. Additionally, most seeds have hard coatings that help mockingbirds grit their food for proper digestion.
Where Do Mockingbirds Forage for Food?
Mockingbirds are resourceful foragers and exploit a variety of environments to find food. Here are some of the key places mockingbirds search for insects, fruits, berries, and seeds:
Backyards
Backyards provide rich foraging grounds for mockingbirds given the availability of both natural and human-provided foods. Mockingbirds scout backyard lawns, flowerbeds, bushes, and trees for insects and spiders. They also readily eat fruits and berries from gardens and ornamental plants. Mockingbirds will visit backyard bird feeders stocked with seeds, suet, mealworms, and fruit. They often perch on fences, roof edges, and telephone wires in backyards to scan for food on the ground. Overall, the combination of shelter and diverse food makes suburban and urban backyards prime mockingbird habitat.
Forest Edges
Mockingbirds forage along the borders between forests and open fields or grasslands. These edges provide mockingbirds the opportunity to eat insects and fruits from the forest while still having open areas nearby to hunt and gather nesting materials. Mockingbirds often follow forest trails, roads, and streams that break up the dense forest interior. The sparse understory at forest edges facilitates movement and provides mockingbirds visibility to spot insects and spiders on the ground or low vegetation.
Thickets
Overgrown areas with dense stands of shrubs and small trees known as thickets offer excellent mockingbird habitat. Thickets near streams, swamps, ponds, and roadsides are particularly attractive foraging areas. The diversity of woody vegetation in thickets provides mockingbirds with fruits, berries, and seeds across multiple seasons. Thickets also harbor high insect populations that mockingbirds prey on through the summer. Their long tails and wings allow mockingbirds to adeptly navigate and forage in dense tangles.
Deserts
Some mockingbird species inhabit desert environments in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Desert mockingbirds scout around cacti, thorny bushes, dry washes, and oases for food. They eat fruits and seeds from cacti like prickly pears, cholla, and sahuaro. Desert mockingbirds also forage on the ground for beetles, ants, grasshoppers, and other insects that emerge after seasonal rains. Their free water needs are met by the moisture within cactus fruits and flesh. Mockingbirds’ adaptability helps them thrive in arid desert conditions.
Unique Foraging Behaviors
Mockingbirds exhibit some interesting food-finding behaviors and adaptations:
Visiting Feeders
As mentioned earlier, mockingbirds will readily visit backyard bird feeders for seeds or suet. They aggressively defend feeders as their own territory, chasing away other birds that try to feed there. Mockingbirds may perch on or hover near the feeder waiting for an opportunity to eat. They may also take food from the feeder and fly away to eat it from a perch. Their comfort around human habitation makes mockingbirds constant backyard visitors.
Fruit Shaking
Mockingbirds have been observed vigorously shaking fruit bushes and branches to knock loose ripe berries or fruit. The birds will repeat this shaking behavior multiple times, often flying back and forth onto the branches in succession. This technique disturbs and detaches the ripest fruit that is ready to be eaten.
Mimicry
By mimicking the calls of other birds, mockingbirds are able to deceive and lure competitors away from food sources. For example, a mockingbird may imitate the call of a hawk or other predator to frighten smaller songbirds away from a fruit tree. This leaves more food for the mockingbird. They also mimic mating calls to bring birds of the opposite sex into their own territory. Mimicry gives mockingbirds a competitive edge when accessing and defending food resources.
Night Foraging
Most birds are diurnal, but mockingbirds sometimes forage for insects at night. Their large, reflective eyes give mockingbirds improved night vision. Street lamps and exterior building lights assist their ability to spot moths, beetles, and other nocturnal insects. Night foraging provides mockingbirds access to food resources unavailable during the day.
Adaptations for Accessing Food
Mockingbirds have several key physical and behavioral adaptations that assist their foraging success:
Versatile, Curved Beak
Their long, slender beak is curved slightly downward enabling mockingbirds to probe into crevices and holes searching for hidden insects. Yet their beak is also sturdy enough to crack into seed pods or hammer into fruit. This versatility allows mockingbirds to leverage different food sources.
Wide Field of Vision
Positioned on the sides of their head, mockingbird’s eyes provide them nearly 360-degree vision. Excellent peripheral vision enables mockingbirds to detect the small movements of insects and other prey when foraging. It also aids in watching for potential predators.
Wingspan and Tails
Mockingbirds have relatively long wings and tails compared to their body size. This allows increased agility and the ability to make quick turns in midair, helping mockingbirds catch insects while flying. Their tails also serve as rudders when maneuvering through dense thickets.
Intelligence and Memory
Mockingbirds display intelligence when it comes to finding food sources. They are able to remember locations of reliable food supplies and return to those areas routinely. Mockingbirds also watch and learn the feeding behaviors of other species and may follow them to food. Their sharp memory helps mockingbirds survive in lean times.
Conclusion
In conclusion, mockingbirds are adaptable, opportunistic foragers that exploit a wide range of food sources. They consume insects, spiders, fruits, berries, and seeds based on seasonal availability. Mockingbirds forage in diverse habitats from backyards to forests, grasslands, thickets, and deserts in search of nourishment. Unique feeding behaviors like fruit shaking, mimicry, and night foraging provide them an advantage when competing for food. Physical and behavioral adaptations such as their versatile beak, expansive vision, agility, and intelligence all contribute to their foraging success. Mockingbirds’ generalist diet and resourcefulness allow them to thrive across North and South America. Their diverse foraging strategies provide a fascinating glimpse into the natural history of these remarkable songbirds.
