Rub-a-dub-dub Mockingbird
by Nava Thompson
Title
Rub-a-dub-dub Mockingbird
Artist
Nava Thompson
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
(1st place winner in 'Involving Water' contest)(1st place winner in 'State Bird' contest) Arkansas State Bird, A photo taken by Nava Jo Thompson of a Mocking bird playing in the birdbath on a hot summer day........The Northern Mockingbird is a medium-sized mimid that has long legs and tail...... Male and female look alike.....Its upper parts are colored gray, while its underparts have a white or whitish-gray color..... It has parallel wing bars on the half of the wings connected near the white patch giving it a distinctive appearance in flight......The black central rectrices and typical white lateral rectrices are also noticeable in flight...... The iris is usually a light green-yellow or a yellow, but there have been instances of an orange color...... The bill is black with a brownish black appearance at the base......The juvenile appearance is marked by its streaks on its back, distinguished spots and streaks on its chest, and a gray or grayish-green iris........Northern mockingbirds measure from 20.5 to 28 cm (8.1 to 11 in) including a tail almost as long as its body. The wingspan can range from 31�38 cm (12�15 in) and body mass is from 40�58 g (1.4�2.0 oz). Males tend to be slightly larger than females.[12][13] Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in), the tail is 10 to 13.4 cm (3.9 to 5.3 in), the culmen is 1.6 to 1.9 cm (0.63 to 0.75 in) and the tarsus is 2.9 to 3.4 cm (1.1 to 1.3 in)...........The Northern Mockingbird's lifespan is observed to be up to 8 years, but captivated birds can live up to 20 years......Habitat and distributionThe Mockingbird usually resides in fields and forest edges......It is usually seen in farmlands, roadsides, city parks, suburban areas, and open grassy areas with thickets and brushy deserts.[9] When foraging for food, it prefers short grass...... It also has an affinity for mowed lawns......This bird does not nest in densely forested areas......The Mockingbirds' breeding range is from Maritime provinces of Canada westwards to British Columbia, practically the entire Continental United States, and the majority of Mexico to eastern Oaxaca and Veracruz...... The Mockingbird is generally a year-round resident of its range, but the birds that live in the northern portion of its range have been noted further south during the winter season......The bird can most frequently be found in the Southern United States.......Sightings of the Mockingbird has also been recorded in Hawaii (where it was introduced),....as well as three recorded British transatlantic vagrants, though one was certain to be an escaped bird......The Northern Mockingbird is an omnivore. The birds' diet consists of arthropods, earthworms, berries, fruits, seeds, and seldom, lizards.[7] Mockingbirds can drink from puddles, river and lake edges, or dew and rain droplets that amass onto plants......Adult Mockingbirds also have been seen drinking sap from the cuts on recently pruned trees..... Its diet heavily consists of animal prey during the breeding season, but takes a drastic shift to fruits during the fall and winter......The drive for fruits amid winter has been noted for the geographic expansion of the Mockingbird, and in particular, the fruit of the Rosa multiflora, a favorite of the birds, is a possible link......DisplayingThese birds forage on the ground or in vegetation; they also fly down from a perch to capture food....... While foraging, they frequently spread their wings in a peculiar two-step motion to display the white patches. There is disagreement among ornithologists over whether this behavior used specifically for getting prey to reveal themselves. There have hypotheses ranging from flight breaking to its intended use for adults when they encounter predators.......Both the male and female of the species reach sexual maturity after 1 year of life. The breeding season occurs in the spring and early summer..... The males arrive before the beginning of the season to establish their territories. The males use a series of courtship displays to attract the females to their sites.[9] They run around the area either to showcase their territory to the females or to pursue the females. The males also engage in flight to showcase their wings.[9] They sing and call as they perform all of these displays. The species is monogamous, so once the pair forms they typically mate with each other for life. The Northern mockingbird pairs hatch about 2 to 4 broods a year.... one breeding season, the Northern mockingbird lays an average of 4 eggs. The hatch after about 11 to 14 days of incubation. After about 10 to 15 days of life, the offspring become independent......Both the male and female are involved in the nest building......The male does most of the work, while the female perches on the shrub or tree where the nest is being built to watch for predators. The nest is built approximately three to ten feet above the ground.[19] The outer part of the nest is composed of twigs, while the inner part is lined with grasses, dead leaves, moss, or artificial fibers. The eggs are a light blue or greenish color and speckled with dots...... The female lays three to five eggs, and she incubates them for nearly two weeks. Once the eggs are hatched, both the male and female will feed the chicks......The birds aggressively defend their nests and surrounding areas against other birds and animals......When a predator is persistent, mockingbirds that are summoned by distinct calls from neighboring territories may join the attack. Other birds may gather to watch as the mockingbirds harass the intruder. In addition to harassing domestic cats and dogs they consider a threat,.....it is not unheard of for mockingbirds to target humans. The birds are absolutely unafraid and will attack much larger birds, even hawks. One famous incident in Tulsa, Oklahoma involving a postal carrier.
Uploaded
July 5th, 2012
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Viewed 1,079 Times - Last Visitor from Ann Arbor, MI on 03/29/2024 at 3:07 AM
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Comments (101)
Maria Hunt
This is the gallery to go to when you want your spirits lifted. Brava, Nava... Great title too. F/L/V
Cathy MONNIER
Wonderful !! Your portfolio is stunning, Nava, so beautiful light and natural colors !
Hanne Lore Koehler
Revisiting to admire this fantastic action capture, Nava! Delightful composition with a happy splashing bird and amazing water and background L/F
Anita Faye
Sweet little bathing beauty Nava! Featured on Poetic Poultry! http://fineartamerica.com/groups/poetic-poultry-.html
Nava Thompson replied:
Anita---thank you very much for the feature in Poetic Poultry---and for nice comments!
John Bailey
Congratulations on being featured in the Fine Art America Group "Images That Excite You!"