The Northern Mockingbird is perhaps the most common bird in South Florida, perhaps only competing with the Boat Tailed Grackle in it’s ubiquity. Mockingbirds are found everywhere; residential neighborhoods, parks, cities, and miles into the Everglades. Although they do not possess the beuatiful colors other full time residents do, they make up for it in vocalization skills. They are often heard singing for hours at a time, especially during breeding season. It is during this period that they become quite aggressive; I’ve been swiped in the back of the head more than a few times while jogging, walking near home, hiking in the Everglades, or even simply sitting in my back yard. I’ve witnessed these birds attacking several raptors, including Red Shouldered Hawks, Osprey, American Kestrel and more. This photo shows a mockingbird drying off after taking a bath on a very cold South Florida morning. It was also angrily pushing a Gray Catbird out of its space. It didn’t seem too happy to have me, or any other animal around it.
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