Texas State Bird - Mockingbird

Texas, the 28th state to be admitted in the United States of America on December 29th 1845, is the second largest state in USA. Some of the official Texas state symbols comprise the state flag, bird, flower, tree, seal, etc.

State Bird of Texas

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), the state bird of Texas, is a common songbird found across North America. This bird was chosen as the Texas state bird in 1927, by the Texas legislature, in accordance to the suggestions made by the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs. The legislature noted that the mockingbird "...is found in all parts of the State, in winter and in summer, in the city and in the country, on the prairie and in the woods and hills...is a singer of distinctive type, a fighter for the protection of his home, falling, if need be, in its defense, like any true Texan..." Besides Texas, it is also the state bird of Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas, and are considered to be America's favorite backyard birds.

Scientific Classification of the Mockingbird

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae
Genus: Mimus Boie
Species: Mimus polyglottos

Mockingbirds are superb songbirds and mimics. They are known to have the most beautiful bird song of all species. They have extraordinary vocal abilities and can sing up to 200 melodious songs, including the songs of other bird and insect species, as well as amphibian sounds. Occasionally, they even make mechanical noise. Their songs are a medley of the calls of several other birds, and each imitation is repeated 2-3 times, after which another song is begun in rapid succession. These birds are observed to sing their lovely songs all night long, specially in bright springtime moonlight. The unmated male birds are seen to sing more as compared to the mated ones.

These ten inch birds are grayish in color with white under parts, and feature white spots on their wings. The tail feathers are black and the outer tail feathers are white, making them quite visible during flight. However, both male and female birds look alike. They also feature slender beaks, yellow eyes and black legs. Their primary diet comprised insects such as ants, beetles, grasshoppers, etc. as well as berries and seeds. Gardens with winter berries are the favorite dwelling places for these birds. They also feed on crayfish, snails, snow bugs and other tiny vertebrates. This Texas state bird has another remarkable feature. Mockingbirds are fierce protectors of their nest and environment. They are even seen sweeping down on cats and dogs, that venture too close to their protected territory.

For the mating dance, the male and female Mockingbirds face each other with their heads and tails held high, darting at the other and retreating. These birds build their nests mostly in coniferous or deciduous trees. The makes build the nest's foundation, while the female lines them, and the nest is prepared in 4-8 days. The nests are prepared from twigs, which are then lined with grass, rootlets, etc. The female lays 3-5 blue-green eggs on an average, which have an incubation period of 12-13 days. After 11-13 days, the eggs hatch.

For those interested to attract the melodious Texas state bird into their backyards, installing suet feeders, are a good option. Since, these birds prefer eating live insects, bird feeders wont help. On the contrary, since they love consuming suet, one can attract them using suet feeders. Birdbaths are also great to attract these beauties into the yard.