Has spring sprung? Mockingbirds think so

A Northern Mockingbird in Mission Viejo, CA.  Photo taken 1/22/16

I heard a Northern Mockingbird singing yesterday in Mission Viejo.  It was a beautiful warm day, perhaps he thought it was spring.

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, males begin to sing as early as January in southern populations and in February in northern regions. Females rarely sing during the spring and summer.  So I'm assuming it was a male. And he is apparently on time with his serenades. 

Since this bird has taken up residence in our back yard, we can expect to hear his beautiful songs until August when breeding is over and molting begins.

For more on mockingbirds, go to my Backyard Birder column at The Orange County Register.

Happy Birding!
J.J.