Texas State Bird: Northern Mockingbird
Fact-checked • Updated November 27, 2025
Texas State Bird – Northern Mockingbird
Texas designated the Northern Mockingbird as its official state bird in 1927. This made Texas the first state to select an official bird. Governor Dan Moody signed the measure on January 31. The Texas Federation of Women's Clubs pushed for adoption. Mockingbirds live across Texas year-round. Cities, prairies, and woodlands all host breeding populations. The bird's aggressive territorial defense and vocal abilities influenced the choice.
Why Texas Chose This Bird
The Texas Federation of Women's Clubs nominated the mockingbird in 1927. They asked the 40th Legislature to make it official. Legislators noted the bird appeared across Texas in all seasons. You heard them singing in prairies, woodlands, and towns year-round.
The legislature emphasized the mockingbird lived throughout the state. Urban and rural areas both hosted populations. People recognized the bird instantly from daily encounters on fence posts and telephone wires. Widespread presence influenced the choice.
Territorial aggression caught legislative attention. Mockingbirds defend nests against cats, hawks, and snakes without hesitation. Legislators saw this behavior as matching Texas character. The resolution described the bird as a fighter who would defend its home to the end.
Five states eventually selected this species. Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee followed Texas. The bird's widespread range meant voters across multiple states encountered mockingbirds in their own backyards regularly.
Legislative History
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The Campaign Begins
The General Federation of Women's Clubs launched a nationwide campaign in 1920. Each state should have its own bird mascot, they argued. Texas Federation of Women's Clubs took up the cause and settled on the mockingbird as their choice. Why this bird? Committee members consulted ornithologists, musicians, and educators. Everyone agreed mockingbirds dominated Texas soundscapes.
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Legislative Process
The 40th Texas Legislature received Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 8 in early 1927. Resolution language praised the mockingbird's singing ability and defensive nature. Debate was minimal. Governor Dan Moody signed the measure January 31, 1927. Texas became the first state in America to designate an official state bird.
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Making History
No other state had moved faster. Texas set a precedent that spread nationwide. Kentucky selected the cardinal in 1926 but didn't formalize it until 1942. Maine designated the chickadee in 1927 but months after Texas acted. The mockingbird designation sparked a trend across America.
What This Bird Represents
Texas Identity
Defenders recognized themselves in mockingbird behavior. These birds attack predators ten times their size without hesitation. A two-ounce bird charging a twelve-pound cat? Texans appreciated that courage. The legislature specifically mentioned the bird would die defending its territory if necessary.
Cultural Impact
Harper Lee borrowed the bird for her novel's title. John James Audubon called mockingbirds the king of song. Thomas Jefferson kept pet mockingbirds and tried copying their melodies on violin. The bird appears in state legislation, literature, and music across the South.
Legal Protection
Texas law protects mockingbirds from capture or harm. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act adds federal protection. Penalties include fines up to $500 for state violations. Why such strict rules? Nineteenth-century pet traders nearly eliminated East Coast populations by capturing the best singers.
Physical Characteristics
Size and Build
Adults measure eight to ten inches long. The tail accounts for nearly half that length. Males weigh around 1.8 ounces on average. Females run slightly smaller at 1.7 ounces. Wingspan reaches twelve to fourteen inches when fully extended.
Plumage Details
Gray-brown feathers cover the back and head. The belly shows white or whitish-gray coloring. Each wing displays two white bars near the shoulder. White patches flash prominently during flight. Outer tail feathers are white, creating a distinctive pattern when the bird spreads its tail.
Field Marks
Long legs give mockingbirds a rangy appearance. The bill curves slightly downward and appears black. Yellow-green eyes stand out against gray plumage in adults. Juveniles show spotted breasts and darker eye color. Males and females look identical except for minor size differences.
Behavior and Song
Vocal Abilities
Each male learns around 200 distinct songs during his lifetime. He repeats each phrase three to six times before switching to a new sound. Songs include imitations of cardinals, wrens, and blue jays. Some birds copy frog calls, cricket chirps, and car alarms. How accurate? Ornithologists sometimes struggle to distinguish mockingbird imitations from the real thing.
Singing Patterns
Unmated males sing continuously during breeding season. They perform day and night, especially under bright moonlight. Spring brings one song repertoire. Fall brings a completely different set of melodies. Both sexes sing, but females vocalize less frequently and more quietly than males.
Territorial Defense
Mockingbirds defend feeding and breeding territories year-round. Watch them dive-bomb cats, dogs, and humans who venture too close to nests. They spread wings to flash white patches while chasing intruders. Some birds recruit neighbors by singing alarm calls when facing large predators. Territory size? Varies from one to two acres depending on food availability.
Daily Habits
You spot mockingbirds perched on high points like fence posts and telephone poles. They run and hop across lawns searching for beetles and grasshoppers. Every few feet they stop and spread their wings briefly. That wing-flashing behavior might startle insects into revealing themselves. Foraging happens mostly on the ground during summer months.
Habitat and Range
Texas Distribution
Every region of Texas hosts mockingbird populations. East Texas pine forests? Check. Trans-Pecos desert scrub? Present. Gulf Coast prairies support dense numbers. The Panhandle sees them in canyon breaks and shelter belts. Urban parks in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin provide ideal habitat with mowed lawns and ornamental shrubs.
Habitat Preferences
Open ground matters most for hunting insects. Mockingbirds need short grass or bare soil for spotting prey. Dense shrubs provide nesting sites three to ten feet above ground. Forest edges work better than deep woods. Desert areas with scattered mesquite and prickly pear suit them fine. Suburban neighborhoods offer perfect combinations of lawn, hedge, and tree.
Year-Round Residents
Texas mockingbirds rarely migrate. Populations stay put through winter and summer alike. Northern populations from Canada and New England move south during harsh weather. Texas serves as winter destination for some of these migrants, though distinguishing residents from visitors proves difficult in the field.
Range Expansion
Mockingbirds occupied only southern states before 1800. The species pushed northward throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts all gained breeding populations. Introduction of multiflora rose helped this expansion. That invasive plant provides both nesting sites and winter berries. Urban development created additional habitat with parks and gardens.
Interesting Facts
Fact 1 of 6
The scientific name Mimus polyglottos translates to many-tongued mimic. Ancient Greeks would have called a multilingual person a polyglot, and mockingbirds speak hundreds of different languages in bird terms.
Northern Mockingbird Songs & Calls
Hear the clear whistles and sharp calls of the Northern Mockingbird. These field recordings capture their distinctive voice in natural habitat.
Audio licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Also the State Bird of:
Sources & References
This article has been researched using authoritative sources to ensure accuracy and reliability. All information has been fact-checked and verified against official government records and scientific databases.
Official history of Texas state bird designation and legislative background • Accessed: November 30, 2025
Comprehensive species account including identification, behavior, and range information • Accessed: November 30, 2025
Detailed information on mockingbird ecology, habitat, and conservation status • Accessed: November 30, 2025
Physical characteristics, diet, and behavioral information • Accessed: November 30, 2025
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