Northern Mockingbirds in California
When mockingbirds are present in California, when they nest, which native California plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5a–11a yard.
- Status in California
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- February–August
- Broods
- 2–3 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 5a–11a
When to expect mockingbirds in California
Northern Mockingbirds live in California all year. Wet, mild winters are the green season — the busiest time at coastal feeders as sparrows and hummingbirds settle in. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward holly, hackberry, pokeweed and multiflora fruit.
Mediterranean along the coast and Central Valley, alpine in the Sierra Nevada, and desert in the southeast.
Nesting in California
Across California, mockingbirds typically nest from February–August. Nest site: twig cup in shrubs and small trees 3–10 ft up. Females lay 2–6 eggs, incubate for 12–13 days, and young leave the nest after 12–13 days.
Dry summers with little rain from May to October; water and summer-blooming natives matter more than extra seed.
- Northern Mockingbirds don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as smooth sumac, chokecherry, red-osier dogwood for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after August.
Native California plants that attract mockingbirds
Of the regional native plants we track for California, these 8 provide food or cover mockingbirds use:
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.
Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.
White fruit and red winter stems; good thicket cover.
Seeds and bark insects; pygmy nuthatch and woodpecker habitat.
Early yellow flowers for hummingbirds, then summer fruit.
Saskatoon berries ripen in early summer.
Tart red fruit that persists into winter.
Feeding mockingbirds through the California year
Mockingbirds defend fruiting shrubs from other birds all winter; plant several berry bushes to spread them out.
- Best foods: Suet, Fruit, Mealworms.
- In California's winter: Wet, mild winters are the green season — the busiest time at coastal feeders as sparrows and hummingbirds settle in.
Full diet breakdown for mockingbirds · Best feeder for mockingbirds
Frequently asked
Are mockingbirds in California year-round?
Yes. Northern Mockingbirds are year-round residents in California.
When do mockingbirds nest in California?
Nesting in California typically runs February–August, with 2–3 per season. Clutches are 2–6 eggs, incubated for 12–13 days.
What native plants attract mockingbirds in California?
Smooth sumac, Tall goldenrod, Chokecherry, Red-osier dogwood, Ponderosa pine, Golden currant, Western serviceberry, Buffaloberry are native plants in California that provide food or cover for mockingbirds.
Northern Mockingbirds in other regions
Other backyard birds in California
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
- eBird region overview and bar charts — California
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- 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.