MOCKINGBIRD 
BREEDING RECORDS 
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MARION 
CLINTQN 
Fig. 4.— Breeding records for the mockingbird in Illinois. 
singing male” records are for June only. The dates represent 
ly records of the species for the locality. 
upin County in 1881. In Adams County, Musselman 
938) noted that mockers were of irregular occurrence 
ior to 1933, but following a mild winter in 1936 the 
ecieés was common in the 1937 nesting season. Bush 
934-1935) also noted an increase in the southern part 
the state after 1933. In Champaign County, Smith 
923) found mockingbirds well established as permanent 
sidents by 1923. Even earlier, Mundt (1883) found 
sts each year, and reported the mocker population in- 
easing in Livingston County (Fig. 4). Prior to 1893 
urchison (1893) found the mockingbird common in 
srmilion County but noted that the species was then 
coming scarce. 
2sting Habitats and Populations 
Like the thrasher, the mockingbird has much more 
lerance of open field habitats than does the catbird. 
stal (1913) found more mockingbirds than thrashers 
the sand prairie areas of Mason County, and Holland 
ersonal communication) also suggested that mocking- 
‘ds have an affinity for sand areas in western Illinois. 
t, a fairly wide tolerance of soils is indicated by the 
species’ presence on the black soils of the eastern part of 
the state and the red soils of southern Illinois. 
Except for the statewide strip censuses (Graber & 
Graber 1963), there are almost no published measure- 
ments of mockingbird nesting populations in Illinois, and 
other types of censuses are needed. 
The mockingbird faces much the same kinds of 
habitat problems as the thrasher. Forest, even forest edge 
and modified forest habitat, such as in old residential 
areas, is of even less value to the mocker than to the 
thrasher. Edge habitats in open country are the most 
favored by both species, and these are the habitats in 
greatest peril. In general, woody edge plantings in farm- 
lands are rapidly being destroyed, and the mockingbird 
does not have a habitat reservoir in central and northern 
Mlinois that is not declining in acreage. A possible ex- 
ception is new residential habitat, but its value to a 
mocker is unknown. We have noticed that farmsteads 
are a favorite nesting habitat for the mocker in the south, 
but abandoned farms much less so, as if the presence of 
humans was important to the bird in this situation. 
Our list of plants used by mockers for nesting (Table 
1) represents principally southern Illinois and js surely 
incomplete even for that region. Our records represent 
mainly roadside nestings, and a more random study 
would be of great interest. Our data probably also mini- 
mize the importance of multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) , 
because we had difficulty finding nests in this plant. In 
central Illinois Hess (unpublished notes) found osage 
orange (Maclura pomifera) to be the favorite nest plant, 
and in more recent years, multiflora rose has been used. 
There are no data on nest plants in the north. 
We have no information on territory size of the mock- 
ingbird. The closest we have found contemporaneous ac- 
tive nests along roadsides was 275 feet, a much wider 
spacing than shown by catbirds in similar habitat. 
Taste 1.— Plants used by mockingbirds as nest sites in 
southern Illinois. 
Percent 
Species of Total 
(77 Nests) 
Red'cedar (jfumperusvtremiana).) 2.0.4.2. 00. 254.4... 48 
Osage orange (Maclura pomifera)...................... 9 
Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)................ 8 
Sagsatras (\Sassajras albidym).92-..05..,,........-.., 7 
Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora)....................... 5 
Gea et MCSD.) Mem ae Mee iene os Mk ne 3 
CatalpaniCata pa spss ok ee ek, 3 
GrcenDEler iSrilax spr) nna hy ee aoe hl ge ok 3 
Trumpet-creeper (Campsis-radicans).................... 3 
Malberr ya (Mofiisicn: jens me Mel) Resctae hs a0 cs. oa cae 3 
Snowberry (Symphoricarpos sp.).........00000000 2000-0. 1 
PRG Pie Ss) Mean aes eee A, 3, Meee had 1 
Biaekbereys, Conan a iannmee tte ens ane 6. Pee | 1 
Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)............. 1 
INSEMEET XINASD ene eee. ee ae 1 
Rreclmmap len cerrt07 0m heme acsse ete en ey Re 1 
Eloa GC UmUe Spy tog en woes A eee ae ea ues oe = 1 
Eamncleniieliti¢a, americana) wit) eae ee ek ea eee 1 
