Northern Mockingbirds in Mississippi
When mockingbirds are present in Mississippi, when they nest, which native Mississippi plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 7b–9a yard.
- Status in Mississippi
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- February–August
- Broods
- 2–3 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 7b–9a
When to expect mockingbirds in Mississippi
Northern Mockingbirds live in Mississippi all year. Mild winters with rare hard freezes. 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 the Delta in the northwest, piney woods in the south and a short Gulf coastline.
Nesting in Mississippi
Across Mississippi, 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.
Long, hot, humid summers.
- Northern Mockingbirds don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as flowering dogwood, eastern red cedar, serviceberry for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after August.
Native Mississippi plants that attract mockingbirds
Of the regional native plants we track for Mississippi, these 8 provide food or cover mockingbirds use:
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Feeding mockingbirds through the Mississippi year
Mockingbirds defend fruiting shrubs from other birds all winter; plant several berry bushes to spread them out.
- Best foods: Suet, Fruit, Mealworms.
- In Mississippi's winter: Mild winters with rare hard freezes.
Full diet breakdown for mockingbirds · Best feeder for mockingbirds
Frequently asked
Are mockingbirds in Mississippi year-round?
Yes. Northern Mockingbirds are year-round residents in Mississippi.
When do mockingbirds nest in Mississippi?
Nesting in Mississippi 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 Mississippi?
Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, Smooth sumac, White oak, Black cherry, American elderberry are native plants in Mississippi that provide food or cover for mockingbirds.
Northern Mockingbirds in other regions
Other backyard birds in Mississippi
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 — Mississippi
- 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.