Northern Mockingbird

A medium-sized grey songbird known for its exceptional vocal mimicry, displaying bold white patches in the wings and tail during flight and territorial displays

Contrasting dark grayish-black base with a striking, expansive white terminal and outer web pattern, typical of outer tail feathers designed for display

Pennaceous vane with tightly interlocked barbs and barbules, featuring a small amount of plumulaceous down at the base

Thin, dark, flexible central rachis with uniformly dense barbs angled tightly along the shaft

Smooth, silky, and matte in appearance with a high degree of flexibility

Tail (outer rectrix), identified by the characteristic stark white outer web typical of the species' outer tail feathers

Distinctive stark white patches on the outer tail feathers contrasting sharply against dark grey-black

Open and semi-open habitats, edge environments, suburban areas, parks, and agricultural lands

Resident throughout most of the United States, southern Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean

Acts as an important seed disperser and insect predator in suburban and open ecosystems

Loggerhead Shrike or Gray Catbird, though neither shares the exact extensive white tail pattern of the Northern Mockingbird

A single male mockingbird can learn over 200 songs, including the calls of other birds, insects, and mechanical noises

Featured prominently in American literature, folklore, and as the state bird for several US states

Look near shrubs, suburban yards, and open perches where mockingbirds frequently forage and display

Good condition with minor wear at the tip and intact structure