ML455273061

Media notes

A mockingbird imitates a large number of species, including three from the Lower Rio Grande Valley (or further south): Couch's Kingbird, Great Kiskadee, and Green Jay. See checklist at the following link for full list and timestamps of species being mimicked. https://ebird.org/checklist/S111034048/

Observation details

I believe this bird has likely recently visited the Lower Rio Grande Valley or possibly even Mexico, based on the species it was mimicking: namely Great Kiskadee, Couch's Kingbird, and Green Jay. I have attached two audio files. One is the complete recording. Per eBird instructions, I broke the recording up slightly with 1 second gaps of silence to normalize the audio in different areas and to combine a second recording of the same bird. (I couldn't normalize everything at once because it got very windy near the end of the main recording.) I also attached a recording of the three LRGV species only, as a convenience for those that want to review it without having to listen to the longer recording in its entirety. This shorter recording is made from cropped portions of the main recording. Below is a list of species and times in the long recording when they can be heard. I've also indicted some times where I'm unfamiliar or uncertain what the mockingbird is mimicking. Other times are simply what I would call 'standard mockingbird' where it's not apparent if another species is being mimicked or if the mockingbird is just making a lot of noise. Species mockingbird is mimicking: 0 min, 12 sec - possibly Purple Martin. (Maybe, maybe not.) Same heard at 3 min, 35 secs. 0 min, 17 sec - possibly Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, albeit a little too fast and clipped. 0 min, 19 sec - Bell's Vireo 0 min, 21 sec - ??? (Strongly reminds me of something. Reminiscent of Gambel's Quail, albeit it faster than that species.) 0 min, 24 sec - Couch's Kingbird 0 min, 34 sec - Western Kingbird (or maybe Scissor-tailed Flycatcher) 0 min, 38 sec - ??? (maybe kingbird call) 0 min, 41 sec - ??? (possibly Great-tailed Grackle) 1 min, 00 sec - Ash-throated Flycatcher 1 min, 06 sec - Golden-fronted Woodpecker 1 min, 21 sec - ??? 1 min, 42 sec - Great Kiskadee 1 min, 45 sec - maybe a Great-tailed Grackle, Yellow-breasted Chat, or even an oriole. (Altamira Oriole is possible but probably too much of a stretch based on the recording.) 1 min, 48 sec - Bell's Vireo 1 min, 53 sec - Great Kiskadee 2 min, 08 sec - Verdin 2 min, 14 sec - Western Kingbird (starts slow with single call notes, rises to crescendo vocalization). This is complicated by the fact that there are a pair of Wesern Kingbirds present at times during the recording. But I believe a careful listen reveals this to be the mockingbird by the sloppy way he ends the kingbird and transitions into his next song. 2 min, 38 sec - Northern Cardinal / Pyrrhuloxia 3 min, 25 sec - Golden-fronted Woodpecker 3 min, 31 sec - Ash-throated Flycatcher 3 min, 35 sec - possibly Purple Martin. (Maybe, maybe not.) 3 min, 39 sec - Northern Cardinal / Pyrrhuloxia 3 min, 45 sec - Cactus Wren 4 min, 12 sec - Green Jay 5 min, 25 sec - Great Kiskadee (but also sounds vaguely similar to Squirrel Cuckoo) 5 min, 30 sec - beginning notes sound a bit more like Brown-crested Flycatcher but probably just Ash-throated Flycatcher 5 min, 45 sec - Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 5 min, 55 sec - Verdin 6 min, 54 sec - Bell's Vireo (probable but weak imitation) Other species in the recording: 0 min, 04 sec - Green Heron (other times too) 0 min, 08 sec - Western Kingbird (other times too) 0 min, 11 sec - Killdeer (other times too) 0 min, 14 sec - Red-winged Blackbird (throughout the recording) 0 min, 39 sec - Eurasian Collared-Dove 0 min, 54 sec - Great-tailed Grackle (song). At first I thought this grackle (which also continues at 1 min, 13 sec) might be the mockingbird, but if you listen carefully, you can hear the grackle weezing while the mockingbird is mimicking Ash-throated Flycatcher. 1 min, 13 sec - Great-tailed Grackle (song) 3 min, 20 sec - Great-tailed Grackle (I think this is an actual grackle and not the mockingbird) 5 min, 02 sec - Orchard Oriole (call)

Additional species

• Green Heron Butorides virescens
• Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
• Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
• Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
• Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto
• Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
• Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius