- Mimus polyglottos
Identification
- Gray above, white below
- Black flight feathers with large white patches that flash in flight
- White outer tail feathers
- Slim white eye-line
May be confused with a Shrike (Northern or Loggerhead), but note different body shape, bill shape, and mask.
Distribution
Taxonomy
Habitat
Woodland edges, copses and hedgerows, very common in suburban gardens and also found in many city parks.
In winter, maintains a small territory around patches of fruiting shrubs/trees that it defends from other birds.
Behaviour
These birds forage on the ground or in vegetation and fly down from a perch to capture food. Diet includes insects, berries and seeds.
They build a twig nest in a dense shrub or tree.
