It’s Sunday, and that means bird photos by John Avise. Today John highlights what he sees as America’s most photogenic songbird. His captions are indented, and you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them:
Most Photogenic Songbird?
Many songbird species (in the order Passeriformes) are notoriously difficult to photograph because they are flighty, timid, and/or uncommon. However, a few North American songbirds are more photogenic because they are somewhat calmer, more conspicuous, and/or very common, thereby giving many photographic opportunities (even if they may not always be the most strikingly beautiful of species). So, in my personal experience, what is the “most photogenic songbird”? And my answer is…. : the Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos). This week’s post shows several poses of this conspicuous and widely distributed North American species. And, as a bonus, this species is quite attractive and has a beautiful song. [JAC: you can hear some songs here.]
Perhaps next week I’ll show my runner-up species for most photogenic songbird.
Posing:
Frontal view:
Note the yellow iris:
Showing its cocky attitude:
Posing in flowers:
Another pose:
Taking off:
Flying:
Pair showing off:
Singing:
Fledgling showing off his white wing patches:
Fledgling headshot:
Teenager:
JAC: There are a lot of bird photographers out there. What’s your most photogenic songbird?
Very good! I know I’m pretty sure I hear them very frequently in our neighborhood.
Mockingbird — the state bird of Texas
and Florida, and 3 other states
They are cocky! Growing up in Staten Island NY there was one on our street making all kinds of calls. I live upstate NY next to Vermont and I have seen them recently and wondered if their range has increased.
Splendid – and inadvertently perhaps (IMHO) an homage to Tony Bennett.
Mimids (“mimic thrushes”: mockingbirds, thrashers, catbirds) are among my favorite birds, so this Sunday’s edition is especially appreciated!
GCM
Thanks for this photographic study of your most photogenic songbird. Great choice! I don’t have a favorite, but I’ve never thought about it. Unfortunately, northern mockingbirds don’t live around my neck of the woods.
We have mockingbirds even here in the Mojave desert. If you’re observant and lucky you can see them do an amazing little jiggy dance sometimes. Courtship or territoriality? or just Art”
A: Territoriality. It’s called the “boundary dance”.
Mockingbirds definitely win “most sassy!”
We need more categories. Most colorful – painted bunting? Friendliest – chickadees??