Mockingbird

Mockingbird
For other uses, see Mockingbird (disambiguation).
This article is about family of birds. For the bird found in United States and Canada, see Northern Mockingbird.
Mockingbird
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Mimidae
Genera

Melanotis
Mimus
Nesomimus

Mockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds from the Mimidae family. They are best known for the habit of some species mimicking the songs of other birds and the sounds of insects and amphibians,[1] often loudly and in rapid succession. There are about 17 species in three genera. These do not appear to form a monophyletic lineage: Mimus and Nesomimus are quite closely related; their closest living relatives appear to be some thrashers, such as the Sage Thrasher. Melanotis is more distinct; it seems to represent a very ancient basal lineage of Mimidae.[2][3]

Contents

Species in taxonomic order

Darwin and mockingbirds

The Chilean Mockingbird, Mimus thenca

When the survey voyage of HMS Beagle visited the Galápagos Islands in September to October 1835, the naturalist Charles Darwin noticed that the mockingbirds Mimus thenca differed from island to island, and were closely allied in appearance to mockingbirds on the South American mainland. Nearly a year later when writing up his notes on the return voyage he speculated that this, together with what he had been told about Galápagos tortoises, could undermine the doctrine of stability of species. This was his first recorded expression of his doubts about species being immutable, which led to him being convinced about the transmutation of species and hence evolution.[4]

External links

Notes

  1. ^ 10000birds.com
  2. ^ Hunt, Jeffrey S.; Bermingham, Eldredge; & Ricklefs, Robert E. (2001): "Molecular systematics and biogeography of Antillean thrashers, tremblers, and mockingbirds (Aves: Mimidae)." Auk 118(1): 35–55. DOI:10.1642/0004-8038(2001)118[0035:MSABOA]2.0.CO;2
  3. ^ Barber, Brian R.; Martínez-Gómez, Juan E. & Peterson, A. Townsend (2004) "Systematic position of the Socorro mockingbird Mimodes graysoni." J. Avian Biol. 35: 195–198. doi:10.1111/j.0908-8857.2004.03233.x
  4. ^ Keynes 2001, p. xix.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mockingbird — «Mockingbird» …   Википедия

  • mockingbird — mockingbird, mocking bird mocking bird . (Zo[ o]l.), A long tailed gray and white songbird of North America ({Mimus polyglottos}), remarkable for its exact imitations of the notes of other birds. Its back is gray; the tail and wings are blackish …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Mockingbird —   [dt. »Spottdrossel«], eine besondere Art von Trojanischem Pferd, die dem Ausspionieren von sensiblen Daten zu kriminellen Zwecken dient. Die Software unterbricht die Kommunikation in einem Netzwerk zwischen dem Benutzer und dem Host;… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • mockingbird — (n.) also mocking bird, 1670s, from mocking (adj.), 1520s, from prp. of MOCK (Cf. mock) (v.) + BIRD (Cf. bird) (n.1). Earlier form was mock bird (1640s) …   Etymology dictionary

  • mockingbird — ► NOUN ▪ a long tailed American songbird, noted for its mimicry of the calls of other birds …   English terms dictionary

  • mockingbird — ☆ mockingbird [mäk′iŋ bʉrd΄ ] n. any of various New World passerine birds (family Mimidae); esp., a species (Mimus polyglottos) of the U.S. noted for its song and its ability to imitate the calls of many other birds …   English World dictionary

  • Mockingbird — Para la operacion Mockingbird de la CIA, véase Operación Sinsonte. «Mockingbird» Sencillo de Eminem del álbum Encore y Curtain Call: The Hits Género(s) Hip hop Duración 4:10 …   Wikipedia Español

  • mockingbird — /mok ing berrd /, n. 1. any of several gray, black, and white songbirds of the genus Mimus, esp. M. polyglottos, of the U.S. and Mexico, noted for their ability to mimic the songs of other birds. 2. any of various related or similar birds, as… …   Universalium

  • mockingbird — UK [ˈmɒkɪŋˌbɜː(r)d] / US [ˈmɑkɪŋ ˌbɜrd] noun [countable] Word forms mockingbird : singular mockingbird plural mockingbirds a small white and grey North American bird that copies the songs of other birds …   English dictionary

  • mockingbird — [[t]mɒ̱kɪŋbɜː(r)d[/t]] mockingbirds N COUNT A mockingbird is a grey bird with a long tail which is found in North America. Mockingbirds are able to copy the songs of other birds …   English dictionary

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