The mockingbird is known for its unique and varied song repertoire. A single mockingbird can mimic up to 200 different bird songs and sounds! But what does a mockingbird’s true, unimitated song sound like? In this article, we will explore the natural, untrained vocalizations of the mockingbird and discuss what its real voice tells us about this master mimic.
The mockingbird’s mimicry
Mockingbirds are famous for their ability to mimic the calls and songs of other birds. A mockingbird will learn the songs of birds in its local environment and then intricately weave these sounds into its own song. The northern mockingbird, in particular, is renowned for having the largest song repertoire of any North American bird. Although mockingbird species are found throughout the Americas, the northern mockingbird, with its unparalleled mimicking prowess, is limited to the United States.
The mockingbird’s mimicry serves important biological functions. Male mockingbirds sing complex songs to attract females and defend their territory from other males. Mimicking the sounds of local birds, frogs, and insects helps mockingbirds delineate the boundaries of their territory and signal to other mockingbirds that the territory is occupied. Additionally, female mockingbirds prefer males with large repertoires, so mimicry plays a role in sexual selection.
How mockingbirds learn new sounds
Mockingbirds have incredible auditory memories and observational learning skills. They listen to sounds in their environment and then practice those sounds extensively to perfect their mimicry. Both male and female mockingbirds are proficient mimics, but males tend to have larger repertoires. Juvenile mockingbirds start imitating the sounds around them almost immediately after fledging and continue building their repertoire through the first year or two of life.
Interestingly, mockingbirds don’t mimic randomly – they selectively choose sounds that will enhance communication. For example, mockingbirds in urban areas often incorporate car alarms, squeaky gates, and ringing cell phones into their songs, mixing the mechanical sounds with bird songs. This demonstrates the mockingbird’s intelligence and adaptability.
Range of mimicked sounds
Here are some of the diverse sounds that mockingbirds commonly imitate:
- Songs of cardinals, thrushes, wrens, chickadees, warblers, and other birds
- Calls of hawks, owls, and other birds of prey
- Cackles, clucks, and alarm calls of chickens and turkeys
- Croaking of frogs
- Chirping of crickets and katydids
- Squeaking of mice and rats
- Meowing of cats
- Barking of dogs
- Car alarms, sirens, and cell phone rings (in urban areas)
By mimicking threatening sounds like hawk screeches, mockingbirds can scare away potential predators. Mimicking harmless species allows them to broaden their repertoire beyond what most songbirds can accomplish.
The mockingbird’s true voice
Given their talent for mimicry, do mockingbirds have a true voice of their own? They do! When not imitating other sounds, mockingbirds use a diverse repertoire of innate vocalizations.
Call notes
Mockingbirds possess a large selection of call notes. These simple notes sound like high-pitched beeps, squeaks, wheezes, whistles, and chats. Call notes are used for maintaining contact and signaling alarm. Both male and female mockingbirds utilize call notes throughout the year. Here are some examples of common mockingbird call notes:
- Food call – A rhythmic “peer…peer…peer” made during foraging
- Flight call – A checkmark-shaped “tek” made in flight
- Aggressive call – A harsh, buzzing “zrrrr” made during conflicts
- Alarm call – A short “phee” made upon spotting a predator
Songs
Male mockingbirds have a wide repertoire of songs that they use for defending territories and attracting mates. Songs are longer and more complex than call notes. A typical mockingbird song features a series of notes, phrases, and motifs repeated multiple times and interspersed with imitation. However, songs containing only innate vocalizations without mimicry are not uncommon.
Mockingbird songs often follow a pattern like: introductory notes – trill sequence – buzzy phrases – thin high arpeggios – whistles. The male mockingbird has dozens of song types he cycles through. The ability to dynamically combine a huge catalog of innate sounds helps make the mockingbird one of the most versatile vocalists on the continent.
Other innate vocalizations
Outside of call notes and songs, mockingbirds have other unlearned sounds at their disposal:
- Alarm calls – High, whining notes
- Begging calls – Multi-pitched squealing by hatchlings
- Distress screams – Harsh, rasping notes
All these innate mockingbird sounds have araw, untrained quality and can be readily distinguished from the mimicry. With an attentive ear, one can recognize when a mockingbird is using its true voice.
Repertoire size and composition
Studies analyzing mockingbird vocal repertoires provide further insight into their natural sounds versus learned sounds:
- A typical mockingbird repertoire contains 150-200 different sounds.
- Approximately one-third of the sounds are imitations while two-thirds are innate vocalizations.
- The innate vocalizations include around 50-100 unique sounds: 25-50 call notes, 25 song elements, 10 alarm/aggressive calls.
So while mockingbirds are skilled mimics, the bulk of their vocal output does not consist of imitations. Their true voice shines through on many songs and calls.
Repertoire use by season
Mockingbirds also strategically use mimicry versus innate sounds depending on the time of year:
- In spring and summer, songs contain more mimicked sounds to define territories and attract mates.
- In fall and winter, songs emphasize innate vocalizations used for everyday communication.
By analyzing how mockingbirds change their sound usage seasonally, we can better grasp the varying functions of mimicry and innate vocalizations.
Signaling intelligence through mimicry
The mockingbird’s mimicry ability likely evolved as a signaling mechanism for intelligence. Being able to master a large repertoire and seamlessly blend mimicked sounds denotes greater cognitive ability.
Female mockingbirds prefer more versatile males, so mimicry provides a reproductive edge. Males with excellent mimicry can also better advertise their territory ownership to rival males through wider-ranging sounds.
Yet the mockingbird’s true voice should not be overlooked. At its foundation, the mockingbird has a diverse repertoire of innate vocalizations specialized for communication, including regional dialects. Mimicry builds on this core song system to further accentuate the mockingbird’s vocal skills.
Conclusion
The northern mockingbird is a songbird whose identity is synonymous with mimicry, yet mockingbirds also have a rich innate vocal repertoire. While skilled imitation comprises part of mockingbird songs, their true sounds shine through in call notes, non-imitative songs, alarm calls, and juvenile begging. Analyses reveal that only around one-third of a mockingbird’s sounds are imitations. Their real voice features regional dialects, songs to attract mates and defend territories, and contact calls to facilitate daily social interactions.
Mockingbirds strategically weave together innate vocalizations and mimicry to signal their intelligence and adaptability. But beneath the mimicked sounds pulses the true mockingbird – a versatile songbird with a voice designed for communication, not just imitation.