How do Mocking Birds learn how to "Mock"?

Question

Are Mocking Bird's songs the same 'mock', throughout the species? Does it change by location, individual, condition? How much of it is genetically innate, vs 'learned' from parent, or neighboring birds.

So, I've learned from Yahzmin's nice contribution, and attached link, that it is mimickry, ie learned. Is it therefore localized to the 'community', in which a particluar individual has it's territory, of only the songs it hears. Does the Mockingbird ONLY sing what it hears, and therefore mocks??? Does it 'invent' songs?

I also find it interesting that they mostly sing at night, when most all the other birds are silent.

Answer 1

"Mockingbirds are part of the family Mimidae; virtually all of its species mimic all kinds of sounds. Their song-making anatomy "is not really different from that of any other songbird," Dr. Cracraft said. "What is probably different is their neuroanatomy, their neural connections, but that would be hard to determine.""

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/04/science/04QNA.html?ei=5007&en=0b997676fb0c2ffa&ex=1399003200&adxnnl=1&partner=USERLAND&adxnnlx=1108825270-oNd4wgvoK8wEdnYj2FhsYQ

Answer 2

its just that they no it and they listen and learn like babys do