Mimus polyglottos
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
The northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is a mockingbird commonly found in North America, of the family Mimidae. The species is also found in some parts of the Caribbean, as well as on the Hawaiian Islands. It is typically a permanent resident across much of its range, but northern mockingbirds may move farther south during inclement weather or prior to the onset of winter. The northern mockingbird has gray to brown upper feathers and a paler belly. Its tail and wings have white patches which are visible in flight.
The species is known for its ability to mimic bird calls and other types of sound, including artificial and electronic noises. Studies have shown its ability to identify individual humans and treat them differently based on learned threat assessments. It is an omnivore and consumes fruit, invertebrates, and small vertebrates. It is often found in open areas, open woodlands and forest edges, and is quite common in urbanized areas. The species breeds from southeastern Canada throughout the United States to the Greater Antilles. It is listed as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The mockingbird is influential in United States culture, being the state bird of five states, appearing in book titles, songs and lullabies, and making other appearances in popular culture. Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santo Domingo | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | |
| 2 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Havana | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 9 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Busch Gardens Williamsburg | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Mockingbird sighting in San Diego on a given day, based on 14,390 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 24th most-seen of the 386 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–June and October
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Mockingbird in San Diego on a given day, against about 20% in August and September, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Mockingbird sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
20th of 39
Of the 39 cities where we can rate Northern Mockingbird sightings, San Diego ranks 20th at about 30%. The best odds are in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic, about 80%), Las Vegas (United States, about 80%) and Mesa (United States, about 80%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Mockingbird is recorded against all the birds logged in San Diego (14,390 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
