Mockingbird

[daltonmissouri]

I feed the local birds every winter, but this year, there is a mockingbird who has taken over my back yard and is chasing all the other birds away from the feeders, as it obviously sees everything as its personal territory. My concern is that when my martins return (usually the third week of March here in southeast Missouri), will this mockingbird try to bully them too? Has anybody had problems with mockingbirds chasing away their martins? Do I not need to concern myself with this?

[-=DKC=-]

I feed the local birds every winter, but this year, there is a mockingbird who has taken over my back yard and is chasing all the other birds away from the feeders, as it obviously sees everything as its personal territory. My concern is that when my martins return (usually the third week of March here in southeast Missouri), will this mockingbird try to bully them too? Has anybody had problems with mockingbirds chasing away their martins? Do I not need to concern myself with this?

My Great Kiskadees and Couch's Kingbirds sometimes bully the Martins but I've never seen a Mockingbird bother them. YMMV.

[clivia98]

My martins have returned and I have a mocking bird but he does not bother them. He does chase the blue birds but they tolerate him and actually dive bombed him the other day. Funny as can be.

[Dave Duit]

Back in April of 2013 another thread titled " HELP NEEDED WITH MOCKINGBIRD VS MARTINS " appeared.
the second thread titled Mockingbird is also below:
Here ere the threads:

Help needed with mockingbird vs martins
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Postby threelilkids » Thu Apr 18, 2013 11:56 pm

I have had martins landing and looking in the holes of my martin house and gourdes for 5 days now, the problem is on two of these days a mockingbird ran one of the two that land. They came back but I am worried about this, can someone tell me if the mockingbird is going to be a problem I need to deal with in some way or will all settle in time. I won the battle over S&S so far but never read about a mockingbird problem. By the way I know I can't harm the mockingbird, but I have gone to the house and waved her off both times. I have 3 martins landing daily while 5 circle overhead for the pass two days.
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Fatman608
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Postby Fatman608 » Fri Apr 19, 2013 12:28 am

I got Mockingbirds that likes to sit on top of my gourd racks to hunt bugs and will bother the Martins sometimes. However, the Martins just fly around a little bit and come right back.

The good thing is that this year I have a Hawk that is sticking around and the Mockingbirds are making the Hawk's life miserable. So, the Mockingbirds are a good and bad thing for me.

Floyd
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jedin
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Postby jedin » Fri Apr 19, 2013 12:36 pm

We have close mockingbirds....like they nest above our heads where we sit on the back porch. And they are real characters that are a blast to interact with. Last year they had 2 successful broods (?). The martin houses are in the yard just beyond. We also had the mockingbirds from time to time seem to want to control the perches on the martin houses, but I came to believe they were either more protective at times (before egg laying) or mis-identifying the martins as starlings. I came to really appreciate them when I realized they were keeping the starlings at bay. We had our first martin pair nest last year, despite the attention from the "mockers".

Very glad to hear they may also harass hawks! I'll be interestrd to hear the more experienced opinions.
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Greg
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Martin Colony History: As a child I managed a purple martin colony consisting of 3 houses on a tidal tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. I started my own colony at my house in Holly Springs, NC as an adult that grew to 27 pairs one year. In 2016 I moved and started a new colony in the spring of 2017 at my new home, which is about 7 miles south of my old colony. I successfully attracted my first ASY male in April of 2017. He quickly attracted a mate, followed by 7 more pairs. Grateful to have been able to start a new colony so quickly!
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Postby Greg » Fri Apr 19, 2013 4:59 pm

I had the exact same concerns three and four years ago when trying to start my current colony. The mockinbird loved to use the housing as a perch and was quick to try and chase off any visiting martins. However, the mockingbird eventually stopped chasing them and I had 2 pairs take up residence.

Don't worry about the mockers....

Mockingbird thread:
MOCKING BIRD
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Dallas
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Mocking Bird
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Postby Dallas » Tue Mar 04, 2014 8:51 pm


HERE IS THE SECOND THREAD : MOCKING BIRD

Has anyone ever had a mocking bird try to chase the martins away
from there house. Tonight as I was watching my martins going to
roost I saw a mocking bird going in and out of my wire cages trying
to fight the martins. I have never seen this before. Will they succeed
in running my martins away or will the established martins fight back!!

Dallas
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John Miller
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Postby John Miller » Tue Mar 04, 2014 9:30 pm

Mocking birds tend to lay claim to a small territory in winter that has trees such as hollies with many berries. They then try to chase other birds away that he or she thinks may eat the berries. Now obviously the martins are not a threat, and I don't think the martins will be bothered a lot, especially at an established site.

I have a mocking bird I've been feeding crushed peanuts all winter -- as I do each winter, and he guards the holly trees -- until one day soon now in late winter when a flock of dozens of robins will descend and eat all the berries within minutes. And then I'll crush even more peanuts.
John M
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Emil Pampell-Tx
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Postby Emil Pampell-Tx » Tue Mar 04, 2014 9:46 pm

As more martins return, they will overwhelm that poor mocking bird, he will leave and quit trying to chase them away.
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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jr 2
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bird
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Postby jr 2 » Tue Mar 04, 2014 10:38 pm

mockingbird was messing with my martins last year and was on power line like jumping up and playing[fighting???]with each other and it was landing on martin houses;;I guess the mockingbird seen that the martins were not a threat and eventua;y left or give up;;jr2
PMCA member; s 2011 2 pair fledged 3; 2012 3 asy pair,4 sy pair,2013 8 asy pair,6 sy pair;2014 19 asy pair,2 sy pair
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Dallas
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Postby Dallas » Tue Mar 04, 2014 11:14 pm

Thanks for all the info. Maybe the mocking bird will be busy elsewhere
tomorrow.


Dallas
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Anthony Neira
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Martin Colony History: Started in 1992 From neighbors old 1950-60's colonies. Have 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 4 MPP Poles, 12 Troyer Horizontals , 2 Troyer Verticals + 2 S&K 11" WITH Troyer Tunnels ready for 2017 Season !! Going to see about installing Extra Troyer Horizontal UNDER EACH House & above Gourd rack.
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Postby Anthony Neira » Tue Mar 04, 2014 11:46 pm

A few days back, when it Was warm, I had about 20 martins having a ball flying around my 4 "side yard" houses, when a mocking bird tried going after them. The martins had fun flying circles around it! I guess you could say the martins were "mocking" the mocking bird!
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chickadee
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Postby chickadee » Tue Mar 04, 2014 11:56 pm

My mockingbird takes grapes and mealworm suet off my porch. And when I put mealworms on the gourds him and the bluebirds found . But never had my mb chase off martins.
2008 first year 1 pair. 2009 3 pair. 2010 7 pair. 2011 20 pair . 2012 44 pair 280 eggs 210 fledged. 2013 67 pair. 2014?
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~Ray~Gingerich
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Postby ~Ray~Gingerich » Wed Mar 05, 2014 10:12 am

When I feed my martins the mocking birds are right there picking up anything that lands on the driveway. ( they think I do all that for them)The mocking birds and martins ignore each other, but several years ago I did see a mockingbird chase a martin when it ventured too close to a berry tree.
~Ray~ Gingerich
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair
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klcretired
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Mockingbird
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Postby klcretired » Wed Mar 05, 2014 12:48 pm

My Mockingbirds have coexisted together with The Martins for many many years and no problems, the only thing is that early in the year what I thought was Martins was indeed the Mockingbird...They will fool you, lol,lol,lol.
Pictures Taken with Canon Rebel XT Digital using a Sigma 50-500 Long Lens.

Wishing everyone a Great Martin Year
Happy Martining for 2018 to everyone,

K.C.

[email protected]
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MamaBruff
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Martin Colony History: 2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
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Postby MamaBruff » Wed Mar 05, 2014 1:59 pm

Kenny, my mocker did this last spring too! He really had me fooled; I'd run out of the house and look for martins only to find him on my roof, chuckling to himself. Clever bird. I think I will know when to look for Martins this year when he starts singing "their" song again, LOL. I've seen him chase starlings, robins, and BBs but he never bothered my new martin colony at all. He is Sheriff Gunsmoke.
~Mary B~

Lifelong PM Admirer and Nature Enthusiast.
Ruthless trapper of S&S year round.
2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
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Courtney-NC
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Martin Colony History: 2009-2015-Helped to manage Raleigh site, 36 cavities
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2018- 33 pairs at Raleigh site, 5 pairs + extra SYs at home site
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Postby Courtney-NC » Wed Mar 05, 2014 4:32 pm

Every year, the mockingbird chases the bluebirds away from their nestbox for a month or so, then he settles down and leaves them alone. This is probably related to berries as well, since there is a small holly bush about 60 ft away from the bluebird box. He is also eating suet from my suet cage and all my bird crumbles right now. He will chase all other birds away. I had to put out two bowls on separate corners of the house to give the other birds a chance to get a snack!
-Courtney
-------------------
NC Purple Martin Society (PMCA affiliate)
http://www.ncpurplemartin.org

[rrmartins]

We also have a mockingbird, he doesn’t bother anybody, just don’t let him start mocking you

[Doug Martin - PA]

Yes I had a mockingbird problem and so did a neighboring colony. Especially if there is only a few martins.

I dread them being around the housing or bed and breakfast. They are more aggressive and more physical than a martin at times.

Doug