The Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) seen here was as ferocious as a dinosa — er, bird, can get. Well, maybe not in the literal sense, but did you ever have the feeling that something was out to get you? This bird felt like giving me a tap or two in the head, something Mockingbirds did to me as a child on multiple occasions while on our patio near a nest in a bush. It turns out that the nasty look I was receiving here was for a similar reason as there were fledglings nearby. This Mockingbird refused to fly away as I walked up the roadway within several feet and stared me down the entire time. It had a lot of red blotches all over all – the remnants of a berry feast, or blood spatter from another unwelcome passerby? It is probably the former but the latter certainly felt possible…
Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
