How to Attract Mockingbirds to Your Yard
Northern mockingbirds are famous mimics that can sing for hours, copying other birds, frogs, and even car alarms. They rarely eat seed, so attracting them is less about feeders and more about fruit, insects, and water.
What mockingbirds eat
In spring and summer, mockingbirds eat mostly insects. In fall and winter, they switch to berries and fruit. Seed mixes don't interest them much.
Dried or live mealworms on an open platform are the easiest feeder food to offer. Suet and chopped apples or raisins also work, especially in cold weather.
The way to a bluebird's heart. Dried mealworms also bring in wrens, robins, and chickadees, especially in spring when they're feeding young.
Check price on Amazon for Kaytee Wild Bird Dried Mealworms (opens Amazon)An open tray feeder that welcomes the widest range of birds, including cardinals, doves, jays, and juncos that prefer to feed in the open.
Check price on Amazon for Woodlink 3-in-1 Platform Feeder (opens Amazon)Plant berry shrubs
Holly, dogwood, serviceberry, elderberry, and native grapes give mockingbirds food well into winter. A single fruiting shrub can become a mockingbird's prized territory.
Mockingbirds like open lawns with a few tall perches nearby, like a fence post, a small tree, or a rooftop, where they can sing and watch for insects.
Offer water
A bird bath is one of the best ways to bring mockingbirds close. In winter, a heated bath keeps water open when natural sources freeze.
Open water in winter brings in birds that never visit seed feeders, like robins and bluebirds. This bath has a built-in thermostat, so it only heats when the water is close to freezing.
Check price on Amazon for API 970 Heated Bird Bath with Stand (opens Amazon)Expect a little drama
Mockingbirds defend their favorite feeding spots, especially fruiting shrubs in winter. If one chases other birds away, add a second feeding area out of its sight.
Frequently asked questions
Do mockingbirds eat birdseed?
Rarely. They prefer insects, berries, and fruit. Mealworms, suet, and fresh fruit are better choices.
Why does a mockingbird sing at night?
Usually it's an unmated male, singing to attract a mate. It typically stops once he pairs up.
Do mockingbirds use birdhouses?
No. They build open cup nests in dense shrubs and small trees, often 3 to 10 feet off the ground.
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