The Bahama mockingbird is a species of bird in the family Mimidae. It is found in the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos Islands, and is a vagrant to Florida.
Region
Caribbean
Typical Environment
Occurs in the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, Cuba, and Jamaica, with rare vagrants to Florida. Prefers dry coastal scrub, thorny thickets, open second-growth, and edges of pine or coppice woodlands. Also uses mangrove margins and semi-urban lots with dense shrub cover. It is generally a lowland bird that thrives in xeric, brushy environments with scattered perches.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 300 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A gifted songster, the Bahama mockingbird delivers long, varied sequences and can mimic other bird species and environmental sounds. It favors dry, scrubby habitats more than the Northern Mockingbird and often sings from prominent perches. It is resident across several Caribbean islands and is an occasional vagrant to southern Florida.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides
Social Behavior
Usually seen alone or in pairs, strongly defending territories during the breeding season. Nests are cup-shaped and placed low in dense shrubs or small trees. Pairs are monogamous for the season and may raise multiple broods when conditions allow.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Rich, varied, and sustained song with repeated phrases and mimicry of other birds. Loud and far-carrying, often delivered from exposed perches at dawn and dusk, and sometimes at night.
Plumage
Gray-brown above with paler, slightly buff underparts and faint streaking on the breast and flanks. Wings show white patches and edges that are conspicuous in flight, and the long tail has white outer feathers. Texture is sleek with smooth contour feathers.
Diet
Eats a mix of insects (beetles, ants, caterpillars, and other arthropods) and fruit or berries from native shrubs. Will glean from foliage, probe leaf litter, and hawk short distances for flying insects. Occasionally takes nectar or small invertebrates from flowers, and consumes more fruit during dry seasons when insects are scarce.
Preferred Environment
Forages on the ground and in low, dense shrubs within dry scrub, thorn bush, and coastal thicket. Also feeds along woodland edges and in semi-urban lots with abundant berry-bearing plants.
