Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
Photo taken in Phoenix, AZ, Feb 2003.
One of the most familiar birds in the cities of the Sonoran Desert. They sustain themselves by hunting for insects and spiders in lawns together with a variety of fruits. The berries of lantana and pyracantha are mainstays. Males and females have similar plumage: nearly uniform gray except for long dark tail and white patch in open wing. Males are the singers that often practice all night long on a concatenation of bird songs borrowed from a variety of other bird species.
Northern Mockingbird can be found in the Sonoran Desert far from human habitation especially when there is an abundance of berries. Three plants in particular produce fruit attractive to mocking birds: Desert Mistletoe, Fremont Thornbush, and Desert Hackberry.