Members of the Mimidae Family Move In

This spring my hillside grove of wild cherry trees (with hedgerows of multifloral rose) are hosting Gray Catbirds
and Northern Mockingbirds. (Public Domain photos.) Both catbird and mockingbird are members of the family Mimidae--birds with a talent for impersonating other birds.

Just yesterday morning I listened to a gregarious mockingbird, atop a walnut tree, singing an array of whistles, trills, warbles, and chipping sounds--bits and pieces from other birds' songs. In the rolling collection, I caught the complete phrase of the Eastern Towhee
Drink your tea, which the mockingbird repeated, true to form, at least three times before moving on.

Now imagine, if you can, both the mockingbird and catbird serving up their best impersonations--at the same time. How can I explain it? I guess I can't . . . though from the catbird's repertoire I did catch the chip-burr phrase of a Scarlet Tanager.

The catbird is known for its cat-like "mewing," a sound of its very own. But you might wonder how a person could ever distinguish these two mimics' apart since they're mostly imitating other birds. One way is this: the mockingbird repeats his stolen notes or phrases up to six times while the catbird typically sings each note or phrase once, twice, maybe three times. And, of course, there's the catbird's distinctive "mewing," which you'll hear when walking by dense thickets and shrubs.

Birding by ear can get pretty confusing with two members of the family Mimidae hanging around. All I need now is for the Brown Thrasher (another Mimidae family member) to visit. Ha!

Till next time . . . Keep birds in your heart!

Georgia Anne