How to attract mockingbirds to your yard
Northern Mockingbirds respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 35 states and provinces.
First: is it in your area, and when?
You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. The Northern Mockingbird is a year-round resident in 34 states and provinces, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware and 28 more — there, a yard can host it in every season. It arrives only to breed in 1, such as Colorado, so set up before spring arrival.
Plant what mockingbirds use
These native plants are tied to the Northern Mockingbird in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.
| Plant | Type | States | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smooth sumac Rhus glabra | Shrub | 31 | Red fruit heads hang on through winter. |
| Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana | Tree | 28 | Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter. |
| Flowering dogwood Cornus florida | Tree | 28 | Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers. |
| Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea | Tree | 28 | Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed. |
| White oak Quercus alba | Tree | 24 | Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food. |
| Winterberry Ilex verticillata | Shrub | 23 | Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter. |
| Black cherry Prunus serotina | Tree | 18 | Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees. |
| Staghorn sumac Rhus typhina | Shrub | 18 | Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food. |
| Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa | Tree | 10 | Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load. |
| American elderberry Sambucus canadensis | Shrub | 8 | Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species. |
Your list covers 2 plant layers (shrub, tree). Layering matters: add structure around these — a shrub layer under the trees gives mockingbirds a safe approach. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Insects in summer; fruit in fall and winter.
- Warm months
- Beetles, grasshoppers and ants
- Cold months
- Holly, hackberry, pokeweed and multiflora fruit
- At feeders
- Suet, Fruit, Mealworms
Feeder style matters as much as food: dish or cup feeder for mealworms / fruit is the first choice for this bird. Mockingbirds defend fruiting shrubs from other birds all winter; plant several berry bushes to spread them out. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Twig cup in shrubs and small trees 3–10 ft up.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 2–6 eggs
- Incubation
- 12–13 days
- Nestling period
- 12–13 days
- Broods per year
- 2–3 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around February in Alabama but not until March in West Virginia. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.
Water, safety and patience
- A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
- Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
- Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
- Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; residents usually find a stocked yard first.
Frequently asked
What attracts mockingbirds to a yard?
Food they actually eat (suet, fruit, mealworms), native plants such as Smooth sumac, Eastern red cedar, Flowering dogwood, clean water and suitable nesting cover: twig cup in shrubs and small trees 3–10 ft up.
What plants attract mockingbirds?
Across the Northern Mockingbird's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra), Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), White oak (Quercus alba). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting mockingbirds?
Nesting starts around February in Alabama and as late as March in West Virginia. Have cover, water ready a month before.
Sources
- Northern Mockingbird — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Northern Mockingbird life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Northern Mockingbird — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.