We get comments of this sort every year. I think I have suggested that some
mockers are duplicating birds they heard before migrating north.
Maybe a better hypothesis is that an individual mockingbird learns a group
of spring birds, say your 3 or perhaps 5, and then in subsequent years the
lengthening day or one of the group heard calling triggers normal calls
that include the total list of learned species.
On Mon, Feb 29, 2016 at 9:52 AM, David Scott <scottrpts@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Over the last few days I have hearing mockingbirds mimicking Purple
Martins, Chuck-wills Widows, and Mississippi Kites. About this time last
year I heard the same thing by mockingbirds.
I am not an expert on mockingbird behavior; I am wondering if some of their
vocalizations are triggered by seasonal changes. I cannot imagine them
hearing the latter two birds sing this early in the season.
David Scott
College Station
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