mockingbird

• WordNet 3.6
  • n mockingbird long-tailed grey-and-white songbird of the southern United States able to mimic songs of other birds
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• Interesting fact: Mockingbirds can imitate any sound from a squeaking door to a cat meowing.
• • n mockingbird An oscine passerine bird of the subfamily Miminæ and restricted genus Mimus; a mock-bird or mocker. The best-known species is M. polyglottus, which abounds in the southerly parts of the United States; it is the most famous songster of America, and is much prized as a cage-bird. Its proper song is of remarkable compass and variety, and besides this the bird has a wonderful range, being able to imitate almost any voice or even mere noises. This vocalization is confined to the male. The bird is about 10 inches long and 14 iu extent of wings. It is ashy-gray above, soiled-white below; the bill and feet are black, and the wing- and tail-feathers in part pure white. The extent of this white on the wings and tail distinguishes the sexes, being greatest in the male. The nest is placed in trees and bushes, and is bulky and inartistic, built of twigs, grass, leaves, etc. The eggs are bluish-green, heavily freckled with various brownish shades; they are 4 to 6 in number, measuring on an average 1 inch by 0. 75 inch. See Miminæ.
  • n mockingbird In Demerara, a name applied to orioles of the genus Cassicus, and especially to C. ieteronotus, which is often kept as a cage-bird on account of its pleasant note.
  • n mockingbird In Australia, the lyre-bird, Menura superba: so called on account of its remarkable power of song.
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