Bird Guide

Tropical Mockingbird

Mimus gilvus

Least ConcernInvertebratesShrublandCup nestSmall · 52 g

About the Tropical Mockingbird

The tropical mockingbird is a resident breeding bird from southern Mexico to northern and eastern South America and in the Lesser Antilles and other Caribbean islands.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

Adult tropical mockingbirds are 23 to 25.5 cm (9.1 to 10.0 in) long. The mean weights of various subspecies vary greatly. Adults of the nominate subspecies are gray on the head and upper parts and have a whitish supercilium and a dark stripe through the eye. The underparts are off-white and the wings are blackish with two white wing bars and white edges to the flight feathers. They have a long dark tail with white feather tips, a slim black bill with a slight downward curve and long dark legs. Juveniles are browner and their chest and flanks have dusky streaks. Voice: The tropical mockingbird's song is "a varied and long-continued sequence of diverse mellow to harsh notes, trills, with considerable repetition of phrases". It will often sing through the night. It apparently rarely mimics other species. Its calls include "a resonant 'pree-ew'" and "a harsh 'chick' or 'chek'".

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

What the Tropical Mockingbird sounds like

Recording: JUAN ANTONIO ALONSO DE JUAN · CC BY 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Recording: Niels Krabbe · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Where the Tropical Mockingbird lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Spain, Barbados, Peru.

When to see the Tropical Mockingbird

Peak activity in January · a resident species across most of its range

Easily confused with

Side by side: Northern Mockingbird vs Tropical Mockingbird · Chalk-browed Mockingbird vs Tropical Mockingbird

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