Mockingbird - Singing Its Heart Out

Anyone familiar with Harper Lee’s famous book To Kill a Mockingbird knows that Atticus tells his daughter Scout that it’s a sin to kill one of these birds, and neighbor Miss Maudie further explains, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.”

Well, Miss Maudie is right that mockingbirds do sing.  Extensively.  A mockingbird has one of the clearest and most obvious singing voices in the bird world.  And at times they don’t limit their singing to the daytime.  Not long ago a friend posted a video on Facebook that she had taken close to midnight one evening.   The video was completely black, but the audio was a mockingbird in full singing mode. “Isn’t this bird ever going to be quiet?” she asked in desperation.  

Mockingbirds are one of our most common bird species, seen regularly on power lines and fences, in neighborhood yards and urban parks, and over open country fields.  They can be observed irritating crows in flight.  They have an understated beauty with their sleek pearl-gray, dark gray, and white coloration.  Mockers have long slim bodies, and are easily recognized when flying because of the white patches on their wings and down both sides of their tails.

Mockingbirds are mimics with great ability to copy other birds’ songs.  Once while on a lunch break at a summer job in Greenville, I counted 20 song changes from a mockingbird, without a single repeat.  And the various calls continued after I had to go back inside.  While a few other birds also do some mimicking, none have the extensive repertoire of this gregarious bird.  

Most people think that the mocker sings for the sheer pleasure of singing.  However, it has much stronger reasons for its outbursts of song.  The mockingbird is extremely territorial and will aggressively defend its area.  But a mockingbird does not sing year-round -- it limits its vocalizations to spring and fall.  In the spring and early summer it is setting up territory for nesting, and in the fall it is setting up its winter boundaries.  A careful observer will notice that, as it sings, the mocker flies from perch to perch around the perimeter of the area it has chosen.  

And therein lies the rub with Miss Maudie’s explanation. Yes, this bird sings and sings, appearing to vocalize its heart for our pleasure.  However, the mockingbird’s song is not so much a joyful cry as it is a warning to all other birds:  “Stay away!  This area is mine!”