The Mockingbird Essay, Research Paper

The Mockingbird

Throughout the biological world there are many interesting birds. The Mockingbird, for example, is famed for its many interpretations or mimicking sounds. The Mockingbird or Mimus polyglottos is known for mimicking almost any bird sound and singing in the middle of the night (Chaffee Zoological Gardens). Besides its own rapturous song, the mockingbird s repertoire has been known to include over 40 different sounds including the barking dog (Learning About the Mockingbird). By far the mockingbird is one of the famous birds in North America because of its mimicking sounds.

The Mockingbird, being a good mimicker, also needs a reasonable habitat in order to live. Mainly spread throughout North America, the birds seek open territory and non-industrial land. In addition, they are largely found in southern states of United States and northern Mexico where land is open and more abundant for natural resources. Mockingbirds require open grassy areas for their feeding, thick, thorny shrubs for hiding the nest, and high perches where the male can sing and defend his territory (Learning About the Mocking Bird). The Mockingbird is also famous for settling down in household gardens where they can feed more on natural substances such as berries.

The locomotion that the Mockingbirds use to travel from habitat to habitat is flying. The flight of the Mockingbird is performed by short jerks of the body and wings, at every one of which a strong twitching motion of tail is perceived. This motion is still more apparent while the bird is walking, when it opens its tail like a fan and instantly closes it again (Audubon). Therefore, they can fly at an instant spring to the air. When a particular Mockingbird flies it flies by day and mainly in short distances, like tree to tree, rather than field to tree, and near the tree line so it can avoid predators like hawks, owls, and snakes.

Throughout the feeding preferences the Mockingbird relies mainly on insects for its nutritional gain. However, berries and different types of seeds are also included in their diet. Most people in today s society find that mocking birds helps their garden or crop in destroying the population of insects. They are beneficial to agriculture because they eat so many insects (Hull, Kevgas, Nelson). This therefore explains Mockingbirds are helpful to people especially in the agricultural business where many crops are traded for other goods.

In description of economic importance the Mockingbird generates a felling of happiness to society living around it. Throughout its natural habitat the Mockingbird holds many advantages in being a good bird. The Mockingbird lives in a wide variety of natural and human modified areas. In addition to being well-known for its extensive song repertoire, the Mockingbird is notorious for its conspicuous and aggressive nest defense (Birds: Mimus polyglottos). Being that it really defends its territory well. However, the best thing a Mockingbird can provide to society is the ability to dispose insects that can destroy many agricultural areas.

In conclusion, the Mockingbird has a great ecological role that makes it stand out more than any other bird. It can mimic any song sung by other birds, animals, or even certain types of machinery. That is found in no other bird on the planet besides parrots. Mockingbirds can be fiercely territorial during the mating season as they defend their nests and territories (Learn About the Mockingbird). This explains that they are very aggressive and that they are very serious of what is there s. Lastly, which is most important, is that they feed on insects. This to many people is helpful such as gardeners or farmers, because the birds eat the insects, which eat the crop, and therefore birds save the crop by deposing insects. In all the Mockingbird or Mimus Polyglottos has a good natural habitat, wonderful form of locomotion, helpful nutritional diet, great economic importance, and most of all an outstanding ecological role for life.