Photo: Amado Demesa from DF, México / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Tropical Mockingbird
Mimus gilvus
Tropical Mockingbird (Mimus gilvus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Tropical Mockingbird (Mimus gilvus) is a member of the Mimidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 52 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Mimidae Mockingbirds, Thrashers
- Genus Mimus
- Species gilvus
Where it lives
Southern Mexico to El Salvador, northern, eastern SA
Quick facts
- Weight
- 52 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Mimidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Tropical Mockingbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Tropical Mockingbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Tropical Mockingbird (Mimus gilvus) is a member of the Mimidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA s Mexico to El Salvador, n, e SA.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 52 g, with a wing length of about 10.6 cm and a tail of around 11.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Tropical Mockingbird?
The Tropical Mockingbird is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 52 g.
Where does the Tropical Mockingbird live?
The Tropical Mockingbird is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA s Mexico to El Salvador, n, e SA, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Tropical Mockingbird belong to?
The Tropical Mockingbird (Mimus gilvus) belongs to the Mimidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Tropical Mockingbird eat?
The Tropical Mockingbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Tropical Mockingbird migrate?
The Tropical Mockingbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Tropical Mockingbird endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Tropical Mockingbird make?
1 real field recording of the Tropical Mockingbird — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Tropical Mockingbird's range?
The Tropical Mockingbird has a mapped global range of about 2.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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