Comments on: Listen to the mockingbird

By: Kathie

Kathie — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:31:16 +0000

I’ve been feeding finches in my backyard for years and thoroughly enjoying watching them feast on the thistle seed, drink for the water dish, and build their nests in the vines that grow up our garage. Last year, in the matter of one week, all three of the vine nests have been disturbed and the eggs were all gone. A mockingbird started taking over the yard and chasing the finches away. I don’t know if the mocker took the nests out or it was another animal, maybe a rat? This spring the finches were back, building their nests and feeding happily. Then a pair of mockingbirds started diving on the finches at their feeder bag, and again, the nests were taken apart and the eggs disappeared. Later I found three nests inhabited by mockers in my grapevines growing over our patio. I don’t want the mockers in my yard, I only want the finches. That’s why I just put out the thistle seed in a sock hoping to keep the bigger birds away. Is there anyway to get the mockers to go away? I took their nests down (two were empty), which didn’t make them happy, but they’re still coming around, “singing” all night, and scaring the little birds away. Help!

By: Gary Bogue

Gary Bogue — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:55:08 +0000

Kaye: I’ve heard mockingbirds imitate some pretty strange things so it wouldn’t surprise me that one would imitate your cockatiel. Cell phone rings, washing machine and dryer beeps, cat meowing, etc. Pretty amazing birds. /Gary

By: Kaye

Kaye — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:04:38 +0000

I have a 1 year old cockatiel that talks a lot and likes to be outside in his cage. Lately I have heard a mockingbird repeating some of his words and phrases. It’s really fun but am I hearing things?

By: Bob Reading

Bob Reading — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:04:49 +0000

Gary, the fix for the mockingbirds, is to go up the tree as far as you can and tie a rope to a branch. When the bird starts his loud song, go out and pull hard on the rope, it will shake the tree and after about 10 times doing this, the bird will go away. When I did this he went to our neighbors yard, and keped him awake an we enjoyed a peaceful sleep.

By: Catherine

Catherine — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 17:28:52 +0000

I just found this while googling issues relating to mockingbird aggression. There’s one in our parking lot at work that’s been dive-bombing me in the exact way you described. I’m really really sick of that bird and need to figure out something to do before I get bitten or pecked or something.