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Home > Blogs > Birds and Butterflies > Archives > 2009 > December > 22 > Entry
Vocal Mimicry
The Northern Mockingbird, a common summer resident in Ohio, has the capacity to learn and mimic over 200 sounds in their lifetime. They, along with European Starlings, can be a source of frustration to the new birder. It can be tricky, but one way to tell if you are listening to a mocker instead of a cardinal is to count the number of repetitions of the song and calls. Mockingbirds usually repeat their songs in groups of four. If you have counted four repetitions in an area that could have mockingbirds, it may be necessary to actually locate the bird to be sure.
Scientists have been trying to locate the reason behind the mimicry in various species of known mimics. Two ideas have been investigated a number of times. One is that the female of the species in question chooses a mate based on the number of songs the male can learn and mimic. The more songs a bird sings, the healthier he is, and this may mean he can provide adequate care for the young. The second is the idea of competition with other bird species. If a male mockingbird can mimic several bird species, he may be able to keep fewer birds out of his territory, which would leave more resources for him, his mate, and his young.
An article released by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Living Bird discusses mimicry in the Black-capped and Carolina Chickadee. Visit http://www.allaboutbirds.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1023 to view the article and learn more about the intricacies of this odd behavior.
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By Katy M.
December 22, 2009 11:24 AM | Link to this
Blog by: Katy Malcolm