is the mockingbirds narrowly in its spread of the American continents and occurs from the southern Canada to Chile and Argentina. The spread-main focus lies in the semi-deserts in the southwest of the USA and North-Mexico. The family is not keenly definable through physique-like characteristics; however, the supposition suggests itself that it emerged from throttle-similar predecessors together with the wrens. its ability is characteristic against it, the voices of other birds deceptive, to imitate similarly. This tone-behavior is called "mocking."
Way of life Most of the 31 types are predominantly in the shrubbery in ground-proximity and also look for its food here, that consists. The birds participate extremely alive; its bustle finds chants the expression through just as frequent as loudly recited. Elevated locations usually serve as Singplätze, however, it is sung (type Mimus) also in the flight. In the dense ground-vegetation, a cup-shaped nest is positioned by both partners; some types brood beside it also in Kakteen (type sickle-mockers, Toxostoma) or also in the dense foliation of low trees (mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos). The nests exist from 2-3 eggs with the tropical forms while nest-numbers of 3-6 eggs are not rare with the northern brood-populations. Usually, the female alone broods; with the mockingbird and the sickle-mockers, the male should take part in the brood-business for a short time. In all cases, both alto-birds take care of the Aufzucht of the boys.
The most northern brood-populations (South-Canada, northern USA) are migratory birds.
Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)) With 24-26 cm, the mockingbird is somewhat bigger than the other types of its type. it is generally gray distinctive colored and carries white drawings at wings and tail.
The mockingbird is very frequent above all in the southern states of the USA, because it likes to join the human being. it is to be hardly overlooked not only through its continuous activity but stands out particularly through its melodious and loud chant. This is valid with restrictions of course, because as a "mocker", it can return the elements of other Singvögel beside the characteristic repertoire only when it also hears these. So, it occurs above all in Canada's wide deserts of isolated brooding pairs, whose chant is very simple and insignificant.
With the chant, not only the brood-precincts are defended; also in the winter, they enclose hereby certain districts. Often, also the females then sing and defend its own precinct-borders. Mockingbirds are very belligerent beside it and are not afraid to demur also bigger invaders vigorously. One brood-pair can rear several broods (up to 3) in one year.
Further types The biggest representatives of the family are among the langschwänzigen sickle-mockers (type Toxostoma). they live very hidden at the forest-edges and avoid the company of the human being. Remarkably long and downward bent is its characteristic beak.
Not all types behave as a mocker. Also, the Galápagos-Spottdrossel (Nesomimus parvulus) distinguishes itself through its big beak. In the plumage-coloring, the two Mexican blue-mockingbirds (type Melanotis) do an exception. they are not blue gray or brown but shining colored. The continuous tremor of the tremor-mockingbird (Cinclocerthia ruficauda), who is restricted with 3 other types in its spread to west-India, is especially strikingly.
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