Ecology: Northern mockingbirds greatly resemble the loggerhead and northern shrikes in regards to colouration, pattern and body shape. The mockingbird has benefited from this mimicry as it has helped it avoid some predatory birds. Using their aerial agility, they have also been known to dive bomb larger birds such as red-tailed hawks that wander too close to their nest. Shrikes are not found in South America and because northern mockingbirds have similar plumage to their central and South American counterparts, it’s been suggested that rather than mimicking the shrike, they adapted to look similar due to living in similar environments. Both are uniformly grey to help camouflage in forested, savannah and scrubby habitats and both have a dark mask, more prominent on the shrike, the dark colour absorbs light, diverting it away from the eyes and preventing glare from the sun.
Sources:
Hailman, Jack P., and Jonathan R. Reed. "Interspecific Plumage Similarity: the Mockingbird and Loggerhead Shrike." Jstor, Wilson Ornithological Society, June 1982, www.jstor.org/stable/4161622. Accessed 4 Jan. 2022. Kessler, John. "What do Baseball Players and Shrikes have in Common?" Audubon Society, 9 July 2018, www.audubon.org/news/what-do-baseball-players-and-shrikes-have-common. Accessed 4 Jan. 2022. |