Northern Mockingbirds in Georgia
When mockingbirds are present in Georgia, when they nest, which native Georgia plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 7a–9a yard.
- Status in Georgia
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- February–August
- Broods
- 2–3 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 7a–9a
When to expect mockingbirds in Georgia
Northern Mockingbirds live in Georgia all year. Mild winters bring irregular purple finch and pine-siskin irruptions from the north. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward holly, hackberry, pokeweed and multiflora fruit.
Humid subtropical, with cooler mountains in the north and a warm coastal plain in the south.
Nesting in Georgia
Across Georgia, 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.
Hot, humid summers; bluebirds can raise three broods but boxes in full sun overheat.
- Northern Mockingbirds don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as flowering dogwood, eastern red cedar, american beautyberry for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after August.
Native Georgia plants that attract mockingbirds
Of the regional native plants we track for Georgia, these 8 provide food or cover mockingbirds use:
High-fat fall fruit critical before migration and winter.
Winter berry-cones and dense roosting cover.
Fall fruit.
Nectar through spring and summer.
Early-summer berries.
Supports hundreds of caterpillar species used to feed nestlings.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Feeding mockingbirds through the Georgia year
Mockingbirds defend fruiting shrubs from other birds all winter; plant several berry bushes to spread them out.
- Best foods: Suet, Fruit, Mealworms.
- In Georgia's winter: Mild winters bring irregular purple finch and pine-siskin irruptions from the north.
Full diet breakdown for mockingbirds · Best feeder for mockingbirds
Frequently asked
Are mockingbirds in Georgia year-round?
Yes. Northern Mockingbirds are year-round residents in Georgia.
When do mockingbirds nest in Georgia?
Nesting in Georgia 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 Georgia?
Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, American beautyberry, Coral honeysuckle, Serviceberry, White oak, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac are native plants in Georgia that provide food or cover for mockingbirds.
Northern Mockingbirds in other regions
Other backyard birds in Georgia
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 — Georgia
- 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.