What's the oddest thing you've heard a MOCKINGBIRD imitate?

Question

I live in the Bay Area of Northern California, and we have LOTS of mockingbirds here. They seem to love the suburbs! *chuckle*

Over the years I've heard them mimic lots of different bird calls/songs (obviously), but also some other interesting sounds. Some of the oddest are: crickets chirping, car alarms blaring, and even -- the chattering and shrieking sound that squirrels make! ;D :) It's sooo weird to hear that coming from a bird, especially in the middle of the night, which is often when I hear the mockers singing. (Anyone else have that problem? heh)

So, what unusual sounds have YOU heard a mockingbird imitate, and how good a job did they do? Everything I've heard them do is amazingly accurate, although some mockers seem more skilled than others. Just like any singer, I guess. ;)

Answer 1

I work outdoors studying birds and I carry a cell phone. One day I heard my cell phone ringing and went to answer it only to find that is was not my phone, but a mockingbird imitating my cell phone ring. I guess he had heard it enough times while I was out there working, that he did a perfect imitation.

Answer 2

Sounds Of A Mockingbird

Answer 3

I have heard mockingbirds imitate wolf whistles men use on women.... would you believe???? At first I thought it was some guys working in the yard next to our house, till I went to get my mail and heard the call coming from above me in an oak tree. The leaves were not fully grown out and I could see the bird clearly. And the guys it turned out were just as as baffled by the birds whistles as well.

If you have Blue Jays, give them a listen as well, and see if you can catch them mewing like cats. And yes both breeds of birds sounded like the real thing too.

Now since you live in the suburbs, this is why you hear these birds as well as others at night. Because of "well lit" areas, birds are confused and think it is "nearing day break" all...... night......... long. The city lights look like dawn to them and so they chirp and sing to "greet the morning."

Now look around on the ground and if you see "large dog foot prints" look again.... see any imprints of toenails with the paw print???? If you don't you are looking at a Cougar's foot print. You might call them called Mountain lions, Cat-a-mounts or devil cats. If you do see those kinds of prints don't be surprised. When we build in the areas that are their natural homes, they don't like the noise so they "move into quieter neighborhoods" where houses are already built. Just rememeber as long as the animal isn't injured or cornered, you are less likely to look like its next meal.

But enjoy the noises that your birds make....just remember these birds are mean when they have fledglings to care for and will chase you and peck you, children or pets for blocks. And sometimes will wait on you if you go indoors and resume the attacks if you come outside again. That is just the nature of the Mockingbird. So don't get too friendly with them. Other birds are not as aggressive.. like Blue Birds, Hummingbirds or Robbins.

Answer 4

When small I grew up on a farm. If I was away from the house working or playing my father would call me to house (for dinner or a phone call etc.) by a shrill whistle with two fingers in his mouth. We had a mockingbird around the house that learned to imitate that whistle exactly. I never could tell if it was the bird or my father.

Answer 5

mocking birds imitate many birds, but the way to identify it is that a mocking bird always imitates in four tones, where the real bird call might only be two or three. they are not the only mockers though, as blue jays also imitate hawks, either to scare away other blue jays (males), during the mating season, or to scare away hawks that will think they have entered into another hawks domain.

Answer 6

I'm not sure if what I heard was a mockingbird or a starling but I've heard them imitate cell phone ring-tones. One of my old acquaintances had a starling that would also imitate simple speech and even road runners classic "meep meep". All of these imitations were unbelievably good. The cell phone one even got me searching the bushes for a cell phone which of course did not exist.

Answer 7

Nothing too weird, the one in my neighborhood can do Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Meadowlark, Eastern Towhee, Blue Jay, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Flicker, Belted Kingfisher, just the usuals. You'd think it would learn car alarm soon with all the yahoos who have their car alarms go off in the middle of the night.

Answer 8

Once a friend of mine had a cute little mockingbird, which mocked the doorbell. The doorbell had a nice music which played for 1 minute. The bird, whenever gets bored starts to play the music and the inmates used to rush to the door to find no one. Strange! Finally they unravelled the "mystery of the invisible stranger ringing doorbell" whose hero was the little mockingbird. No Wonder, he named it as "Tumble"

Answer 9

There was a mockingbird near my house that imitated the sound of two cats fighting - it made our dog go nuts every time it made this sound.

Answer 10

i have heard a mockingbird sing the mocking bird song.