This feathery friend ruffling his feathers is a Northern Mockingbird! According to the National Audubon Society, they are the only mockingbird native to the U.S., and their name (Mimus polyglottos) means “many-tongued mimic.” Their song can mimic frogs and toads in addition to other birds and artificial, anthropogenic sounds like music.

[Photo and caption by Cassidy Cooper]

Gammon, D. E., & Corsiglia, A. M. (2019). Mockingbirds imitate frogs and toads across North America. Behavioural processes, 169, 103982.

[Edited by Josephine Hubbard]