A mockingbird with a worm (courtesy photo)
Springtime birds sing their songs
It’s the time of year that we start hearing birds chirping and singing away – even in the dark of night!
Northern mockingbird:
If you’re a light sleeper like myself, I understand your frustration. Unmated males are most likely to be the culprits, and after mating, their nighttime intrusion on our quest for silence often disappears. But you may continue to hear them during the daytime, as a male mockingbird can emit up to 200 distinctive sounds, and often mimic sounds they’ve heard, such as a barking dog or a siren. Even their scientific name, mimus polyglottos, means many-tongued mimic.
These mid-sized birds are gray with a white underside; and males and females are almost identical. They can be very aggressive if they believe humans or other birds approach their nesting area too close, and have been known to chase even much larger ravens, or “dive-bomb” cats! They are omnivorous, feeding on insects, fruit, crustaceans and occasionally small lizards.
Black-headed grosbeak:
The male black-headed grosbeak is occasionally mistaken for an oriole, but this bird has a black hood, is stockier and has a thick, short beak which they useto shuck sunflower seeds – their favorite food.
They also consume spiders, snails, insects and berries, along with tasting your ripening fruit.
The female’s coloring is more subdued.
They do not live in southern California year-round, but take a rest on their northbound migratory route from Mexico, and often stay long enough to breed. We have a young’un show up with mom and dad regularly several times a day for water and sunflower seeds.