Northern Mockingbird sounds

Listen to the Northern Mockingbird

Each recording below is a short excerpt with its spectrogram, a picture of the sound. Time runs left to right and higher pitches sit higher up. Play each one, then look for the same shape in the next. Different recordings of the same bird help you learn the bird, not one clip.

What to listen for

The Northern Mockingbird is best known in North America for imitating other birds, other animals, and artificial sounds such as unoiled wheels and car alarms. Both sexes sing, and the song repertoire can be large and lifelong, while recognized calls include nest relief, hew, chat or chatburst, and begging calls.

Many listeners write its call as “hew”. Treat a written sound as a memory aid; individual birds and regions vary.

When you are most likely to hear it: Males begin singing in late January to February, continuing into summer and territorial song in fall..

What it looks like

The Northern Mockingbird is a medium-sized mimid with long legs and a long tail; males and females look alike. It is gray above and white or whitish-gray below, with white wing patches and white outer tail feathers visible in flight.

Where to find it

It favors open areas with sparse vegetation, including parks, gardens, mowed lawns with nearby shrubs, desert scrub, and chaparral. It forages on the ground or in vegetation and often spreads its wings to show white patches while feeding.

BirdBrain regions that include this bird

• California
• Caribbean
• Eastern Canada
• Florida
• Great Lakes
• Mexico
• Mid-Atlantic
• New England
• Northwest
• Plains
• Polynesia
• Rocky Mountains
• Southeast
• Southwest
• Texas
• Western Canada
• Western Europe

Did you know?

• It can mimic birds, cats, dogs, frogs, crickets, unoiled wheels, and even car alarms.
• Studies show it can identify individual humans and respond differently based on learned threat assessments.
• The Northern Mockingbird is the state bird of five U.S. states.

Learn the Northern Mockingbird by ear

BirdBrain Academy teaches bird sounds with side-by-side listening and quizzes that use different recordings, so you learn the bird rather than one clip. Start with six free lessons, no signup needed. On your phone, Sound ID can name the birds singing around you.

Start studying freeGet the iPhone or Android app

Related birds

• American AvocetShorebirds
• American CrowCorvids
• American GoldfinchFinches
• American KestrelFalcons
• American RobinThrushes
• American Tree SparrowSparrows

Species notes are adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and checked for BirdBrain. Recordings come from xeno-canto under the licenses shown with each one. Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Identification guidance is educational; birds vary, so confirm unusual sightings with local experts or eBird.