One of my hobbies is to go through old journals on botany, ornithology and other nature-related subjects to find fascinating tidbits about wildlife.
For instance, while recently thumbing through the December 1936 issue of the Wilson Bulletin (a publication of the still extant Wilson Ornithological Society), I found an article titled, “Fall and Winter Behavior of Mockingbirds.”
The author, Amelia R. Laskey, discussed the “unique habit” among mockingbirds, male and female, to define and defend their territories in fall and winter — the same behavior that I see in my own yard and neighborhood in Decatur around this time of year.
Most songbirds, such as cardinals and robins, establish and defend territories during the spring and summer nesting seasons. Come autumn, their reproduction hormone levels drop and they lose their antagonism. If they don’t migrate, they often flock together to find and share food to survive the cold months.
But the mockingbird‘s pugnacity does not diminish. Around September, mockingbirds, either separately or in pairs, begin defending their “second” territories, mostly around fall food sources such as pokeberry bushes laden with berries. (These spots also may become nesting territories in spring.)
One of the mockingbird’s fascinating fall and winter defense strategies is to perch conspicuously and sing as exuberantly as in the mating season. Its songs may imitate those of cardinals, starlings, towhees and other species, perhaps a way of making would-be intruders believe that many territory-defending birds are around.
Mockingbirds in winter also may make a “chewk” call, which may be a way of alerting birds in neighboring territories of a trespasser. Sometimes, though, neighboring mockingbirds meet at the border of their territories and engage in aggressive displays or even a fight, perhaps to settle border disputes.
So, this fall, keep an eye on mockingbirds. They can be fascinating entertainment.
By the way, Amelia Laskey, who died in 1973 at age 88, studied birds at her home near Nashville, Tenn. Her work shows how amateurs can make important contributions to science.
IN THE SKY: The moon, now in last quarter, will "disappear" into a new moon on Oct. 4, said David Dundee, Tellus Science Museum astronomer. Mercury is very low in the west just after dusk. Venus is in the west at dusk and sets about two hours later. Mars rises out of the east about two hours before dawn; it will appear close to the moon Tuesday morning. Jupiter rises out of the east just after midnight and will appear close to the moon on Saturday night. Saturn is low in the southwest just after dark and sets in the west shortly after dark.
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