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Fortunately for birders, the Mockingbird is common in the garden and
an excellent bird watching subject. They are a territorial bird, and we like watching
our neighboring Mockingbird perch atop the telephone pole to sing and declare its
possession of the territory. During the mating season, the male Mockingbird makes
sudden darts into the air, flashing his white wing bars to attract attention.
If your local Mockingbird lives down the street, a glimpse through bird watching
binoculars will show you that he has a slender form, long tail, and very intelligent
face.
Gray catbirds are smaller than mockingbirds, and can be distinguished by an overall
grey plumage with a black cap and rufous coverts. It's name comes from the cat-like
mewing noises it makes.
Thrashers are a large part of the Mimid family. Generally inhabiting open scrubland,
they are all fairly large birds, and all have a easily recognizable large, curved
bill. Some members of this group include the California Thrasher, the Brown Thrasher,
and the Curve-billed Thrasher.
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