Tr*r Trvu

Db,UINI\INTibY Carol Dungan

ne hot fune night I was tossing and

turning, trying to sleep' I got up for a

glass of water and heard the strangest thing' A

mockingbird was outside my window singing a

beautiful song. I looked at the clock' It was after

midnight! Most birds are quiet once the sun

goes down. Was this bird confused? Maybe it

couldnt sleeP either!

Mostly gray with white stripes on their wings'

mockingbirds are named for their unusual abil-

ity to "rnocli' or imitate other birds' In fact' a

mockingbird can imitate over thirty different

bird calls as well as dogs, sirens' squirrels' and

other sounds. It combines many different calls

together to produce a long, beautiful song'

Scientists aren't sure why it imitates others

instead of singing an original song' but the

medley of tunes helps to attract other mocking-

birds. It also helps mockingbirds defend nest-

ing territory. Males prefer to sing and defend

territory from high perches' Mockingbirds

are known to be quite fierce when protecting

a nest. Both males and females take care of

the babies and will attack any intruder' large

or small, that comes too near' They will even

O, 0 l pretend to be hurt in order to lure a

Predator awaY from the nest'

Research also shows the brain of a mocking-

bird has more memory for songs and sounds

than other birds, which may explain why they

can keep learning new calls throughout their

lifetime. They use more vocal muscles to sing as

well, so their songs are longer and more compli-

cated than other birds' songs'

But why does a mockingbird sing in the mid-

dle of the night? The reason is simple' It's a male

looking for a female' Most mockingbirds pair

up from March until August' and if a male does

,tot hu,r. a mate during the summer months'

he will sing all night long' He especially likes to

sing when there is a full moon' The longer and

more complex his song, the better his chances

are of finding a female' He may sing for hours at

night when all is quiet' That way' females from

miles around are sure to hear him'

So if you are ever awake late at night and hear

I a bird singing, you are most likely listening to

I the calls of a male mockingbird' And he cant

,1".p either because he's too busy singing!

...GOD

things, and for THY pleasure they are and

cteat edMockrtrcgbrtrds

"TH0U hast created all

12N AT U R E F R IE N D

were created." Rtvr'rertoN 4:11