Mockingbirds are a familiar sight across the Americas, recognized for their impressive vocalizations and adaptability. These birds are omnivorous, meaning their diet naturally includes both plant and animal matter. This flexibility in their foraging habits allows them to thrive in diverse environments, from wild woodlands to suburban gardens.
Primary Dietary Components
Mockingbirds exhibit a varied diet, with significant seasonal shifts between consuming insects and plant-based foods. Their nutritional needs change throughout the year, influencing what they seek out in their environment.
Insects and Invertebrates
During warmer months, especially from late spring through summer, insects and other invertebrates form a substantial part of a mockingbird’s diet. This protein-rich food source is particularly important during the breeding season to support nesting adults and growing chicks. Mockingbirds actively hunt for a range of arthropods, including beetles, ants, bees, wasps, cicadas, crickets, and grasshoppers. They typically forage on the ground, using a distinctive hop-and-run motion to disturb and capture prey. Mockingbirds also consume spiders, earthworms, and various larvae, with some species even preying on small lizards when available.
Fruits and Berries
As insect populations decline in fall and winter, mockingbirds shift to a diet heavily reliant on fruits and berries. These plant-based foods provide essential carbohydrates and energy during colder periods. They consume wild fruits like elderberries, mulberries, holly berries, juniper berries, pokeweed, and Virginia creeper. Mockingbirds aggressively defend berry bushes from other birds, highlighting these resources’ importance. They also occasionally drink tree sap, though it’s not a primary food source.
Offering Food to Mockingbirds
To support mockingbirds, understanding appropriate food offerings is helpful. Supplemental food can assist their natural diet, especially during scarcity.
Safe Offerings
Mockingbirds typically avoid seed feeders but are attracted to other offerings. Suet, especially soft blends, provides fat and energy, particularly in winter. Mealworms, live or dried, are an excellent protein source mockingbirds readily accept. Cut fruits like apple slices, oranges, grapes, and raisins also attract them. Provide these supplemental foods in small quantities on platform feeders or low-to-the-ground dishes, as mockingbirds prefer foraging there.
Foods to Avoid
Certain human foods are harmful and should never be offered to birds. Processed foods like bread, chips, and crackers lack nutritional value and cause health problems. Foods high in salt, sugar, caffeine, or chocolate are toxic, potentially causing severe illness or death. Avocado contains persin, a substance toxic to birds, and must be avoided. Fruit pits and apple seeds contain small amounts of cyanide and should be removed before offering fruit.
Natural Attraction
A sustainable way to attract mockingbirds is by cultivating native plants that provide natural food sources. Planting berry-producing shrubs and trees like elderberry, mulberry, juniper, and dogwood offers seasonal fruits. A diverse garden with native flowers and shrubs encourages insect populations, providing a consistent food supply. Ensuring a pesticide-free environment allows these birds to forage safely.