mockingbird

American  

[mok-ing-burd] / ˈmɒk ɪŋˌbɜrd /

noun

mockingbirds plural

1. any of several gray, black, and white songbirds of the genus Mimus, especially M. polyglottos, of the U.S. and Mexico, noted for their ability to mimic the songs of other birds.

2. any of various related or similar birds, as Melanotis caerulescens blue mockingbird, of Mexico.

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mockingbird British  

/ ˈmɒkɪŋˌbɜːd /

noun

1. any American songbird of the family Mimidae, having a long tail and grey plumage: noted for their ability to mimic the song of other birds

2. a small scrub bird, Atrichornis rufescens , noted for its mimicry

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mockingbirds
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mockingbird

1670–80, mocking ( def. ) + bird

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mockingbird mockingbirds

They aim to unseat the mockingbird, which has held the top perch for 99 years, and crown the American flamingo state bird.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

"There's that mockingbird out there," Wayne tells Stella, as smiles flicker across their faces.

From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2025

They also recognized acorn woodpeckers, a California towhee, dozens of turkey vultures circling overhead, a dark-eyed junco, a mockingbird, an Anna’s hummingbird and a black phoebe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2023

“This started as a drawing and became a collage which I’ve just completed. It’s a mockingbird, and some of the pieces of paper are piano sheet music.”

From New York Times ● Jul. 21, 2023

I can feel the wind blow and hear the mockingbird whistling on the way back to her nest.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Sometimes, Gordillo sunbathes in the backyard by the tangerine tree and listens to the mockingbirds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2022

Smaller birds defer to bigger birds, scooting off the feeding bench when jays or mockingbirds come in for a landing.

From Washington Post ● May 9, 2022

Even before the American Revolution, Jefferson had taken a liking to mockingbirds, and he brought this affection to the White House, which they filled with melodious song.

From Salon ● Apr. 30, 2022

Their work illuminates an elaborate hidden hierarchy: Northern mockingbirds and red-bellied woodpeckers are pugnacious for their size, but both would give way if a truly dominant bird like an American crow descended upon the feeder.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 28, 2021

Outside, mockingbirds were singing blithely, and, once in a while, when the songsters took flight, Mariam could see their wings catching the phosphorescent blue of moonlight beaming through the clouds.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini