Northern Mockingbird Population Analysis
Northern Mockingbird has declined: down 48% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Northern Mockingbird
A bold gray mimic of towns and farmland, the Northern Mockingbird sings tirelessly day and night, stringing together imitations of other birds and sounds.
- Size
- 8.5–10 in long, about 1.7 oz (21–26 cm, 49 g)
- Habitat
- A broad range of open and wooded habitats, often near people.
- Diet
- Insects in the breeding season, switching to fruit and berries in fall and winter.
- Range
- Recorded on 2,927 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 48 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Mimidae · Generalists
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Notable Northern Mockingbird TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
No notable trend signals for Northern Mockingbird. See the full index history below.
Northern Mockingbird Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Northern Mockingbird is projected to stay roughly flat through 2030, near 8.7 (95% range 6.2–11). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±4%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the Northern Mockingbird Is Detected
BBS routes recording Northern Mockingbird, sized by most recent count.
Northern Mockingbird Population Trend by State
Northern Mockingbird Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Northern Mockingbird Conservation Status
Least Concern
The IUCN Red List rates this species as Least Concern. Our route-weighted index shows it down about 48% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-08-14. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.