Bahama Mockingbird

Mimus gundlachii

Length: 11 inches	Wingspan: 14.5 inches	Seasonality: Non-resident in South Dakota
ID Keys: Gray overall, lighter below, obvious dark streaks on flanks, pale streaks on upper back, thin dark throat stripe, white chin

Bahama Mockingbird - Mimus gundlachii The Bahama Mockingbird is a relative of North America's much more common Northern Mockingbird. They are found on islands in the Bahamas, and in other scattered locations in the western Caribbean. In the United States, they are vagrants to Florida. The first sighting was in the Dry Tortugas islands off the Florida Keys in 1973, but a number of sightings have occurred since then. While somewhat similar to the Northern Mockingbird in overall structure, the Bahama Mockingbird can easily be distinguished from it's more common North American relative by the streaking on its flanks, the larger size, the dark throat stripe, and less "clean" appearance on the face and head.

Habitat: Found in shrubby areas with scattered trees.

Diet: Feeds on insects, fruits, and berries.

Behavior: Prefers areas of thick shrubs, and is more secretive and less visible than it's sometimes bold relative, the Northern Mockingbird.

Nesting: Nesting behavior is poorly understood, but it is believed the female lays 2 or 3 eggs, and that nesting pairs raise more than one brood per season.

Interactive eBird Map: Click to access an interactive eBird map of Bahama Mockingbird sightings

Song: The song of a Bahama Mockingbird is a series of repeated, mostly two-syllable phrases.

Migration: Considered a permanent resident throughout its range, although some birds obviously wander, given the sightings in Florida.

Feeders: May attend feeders for fruit

Similar Species: Similar in structure to the Northern Mockingbird, but differences are obvious if seen well.

Conservation Status: Populations are not very large and they aren't found over a very wide geographic region, but there are no serious conservation concerns at this time. The Bahama Mockingbird is considered a species of "Least Concern" by the IUCN.

Further Information: 1) Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - Bahama Mockingbird

2) WhatBird - Bahama Mockingbird

3) Birdlife International - Bahama Mockingbird

Photo Information: Photo taken by Laura Gooch - Photo licensed under Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License.

Click below for a higher-resolution map

South Dakota Status: Non-resident in South Dakota

Additional Bahama Mockingbird Photos (coming soon!!)