Need info on a certain bird
OK, I’ve looked forever online on different bird sites, to identify a certain bird, in the SO CAL area, but can’t find it. I tried to take photos of it but it flys away before I can do it.
It’s medium sized, dark gray. It doesn’t have a short stubby beak like others around here, but a longer, thin beak about 3/4 to a inch long. When they fly they expose large white bands on the wings and tail. They are EVERYWHERE now, and are dive bombing/attacking my cats in the backyard.
Wondering if members here like WOK, Stevein la may know what this is, since these guys live in the greater LA area, and if it’s protected ect. I even see them attacking crows in the air, which in itself isn’t a bad thing I guess lol.
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Nah–it’s a “milermor” bird. When afraid it sticks it’s head in the sand and
whistles out his ass. Can be heard for a mile or more! 😯
Oh look! A bird watcher is calling one right now–>
i have these birds at my house and as you described they atack my dog and stray cats sometimes people that come to close to their nest, and they are known to atack hawks as i see it all the time o and they never shut up right now thers une singing next to my room 🙄 , at night they eat mosquitos and insects that are around light post, do this things sond similar?
Sounds like the same exact same deal Buster, My understanding is that as the summer progresses and mating season is done, alot of this stuff will subside, at least as far as the Mockingbird is concerned.
Actually, just now I noticed another flying creature last night that is now in abundance, BATS. Right after the sun goes down,They come out everywhere, and they do a good job taking care of the insects around here. I believe they’re actually called “Little Brown Bats.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_Kingbird
i have these birds at my house and as you described they atack my dog and stray cats sometimes people that come to close to their nest, and they are known to atack hawks as i see it all the time o and they never shut up right now thers une singing next to my room 🙄 , at night they eat mosquitos and insects that are around light post, do this things sond similar?
Fer sure cats have a different set of rules….which they seem to control sometimes.
Which is as it should be, IMO.
Stay safe and enjoy.
Doug Owen
Thanks Doug, more good info… I’ll be leaving them alone, (can’t promise my cat will abide such rules and regulations however) 😉
They’re migratory birds, protected under both the treaty with Canada and the one with Mexico.
They’re related to Thrashers, which are also protected:
http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/intrnltr/mbta/cnvntion.pdf
(on page 17).
Basically English Sparrows, ‘barn pigeons’, and Starlings are the only pest birds most airgunners can shoot ‘anytime’ (with a hunting license, where it’s legal of course). There are a few like Turkeys that can be shot in season with proper tags. And some, like doves, that cannot be taken with airguns even in season with tags (“shotgun only”).
Depradition shooting is possible for large numbers of pest birds actively attacking crops and the like (not just pooping on your car….), but for birds on the Federal list (like Seagulls and Mockingbirds) this requires a permit from the Department of Ag with filing fees ($200 IIRC) after approval.
I wouldn’t suggest shooting them, and for sure not advertising it if you do.
Doug Owen
IMHO I’d still treat them as one of the “Good Guys’ unless they become an annoyance.
I’m kind of suppressed the cats aren’t going after them. Maybe the birds have them scared?
Yeah I guess when I said the birds are messing with the ‘cats’ I should have said ‘cat’ since I’ve only actually seen them go after my girlfreinds daughters cat, which is a real “Pussy” cat, it won’t fight, hunt or anything. Now on the other hand, should one of these birds mess with MY cat, it will probably be the last thing they do. My cat drags in frogs, lizards, snakes, and will stalk birds from behind, and when they try to fly away, it will jump up to 4 feet or more in the air, grab them and bring em down. The only thing left is some feathers, a face with a beak, and the heart, which is like rubber and he can’t eat it. Here’s a couple pics of “Boogers” my cat.
I’ve found nothing in the California hunting reg under protected or threatened species list. The Wiki link show “least concern”: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Mockingbird
IMHO I’d still treat them as one of the “Good Guys’ unless they become an annoyance.
I’m kind of suppressed the cats aren’t going after them. Maybe the birds have them scared?
Wow… my buddies at TAG really came thru here… great info, good links, and a few laughs, doesn’t get much better! You guys nailed it, it’s most definitely the Mockingbird. I did some research on them and everything fits to a tee. They have built a nest in the backyard in a orange tree, which a baby fell out and died. Now they moved the nest to another tree at the side of our house, so when the cats come near I guess they feel threatened and dive bomb them. Very territorial. It’s mating season, that’s why all the ruckus lately it seems. Some people love them, others hate them, with all the chirping at all hours, and they have a million different chirps. One person claimed they even mimick the sound of car alarms.
Anyways, case closed, thanks, it seems the consensus is to just leave them alone, according to at least one post here. I really didn’t get much info on how they are protected here in So Cal in my research.
And that’s what a shroud is for. 🙂
Also, the benifit of raccoons and possums. Destroying evidence. 😛
Oh yeah, I bet that stirred someone up. 🙂
Mockingbirds are a noisy, PITA bird. Here in Texas, they are the State Bird, so that makes them off limits. The damned things roost in a specific tree every night and will sqauwk all night long.
For some reason, after one finds a home in one of my trees and keeps me awake for a night or two, they always seem to get real quiet…. 
It sounds like an “Oh No!” bird. That’s a bird with a dick that’s longer than its legs…so when it lands, it says, Oh No!
Actually, it sounds like a mocking bird. I have observed some of these harassing the hawks in my immediate area. They do that to protect their nests and young. Get a picture if you can.
Nah. That’s almost definately a mockingbird. Freaking annoying things. I had one dive bombing my dog just the other day. They can be pretty aggresive around their nests and such. They are everywhere down here. But yeah, that’s definately it.
Sounds to me like an eastern kingbird, but I don’t know if you have them in Cali or not. They are very aggressive, and are colored about like you say.
Kevin
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Yeah, That figures. The Texas State Bird. The BIG MOUTH!
We’re loaded down with them out here in Central Texas. They attack anything and everything. They run off all the song birds. Hell. Every time I take a bead on a field mouse, they dive bomb em. And they keep me awake most every night! They are starting to irritate me just a mite!
Don’t know why they call them migratory. They won’t leave. Here year round.