New York · Year-round resident

Northern Mockingbirds in New York

When mockingbirds are present in New York, when they nest, which native New York plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3b–7b yard.

Mockingbirds and thrashers (Mimidae)Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos

Status in New York: Year-round resident
Nesting window: March–August
Broods: 2–3 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3b–7b

When to expect mockingbirds in New York

Northern Mockingbirds live in New York all year. Long, snowy winters upstate; lake-effect snow belts make feeders and roost boxes important. 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 continental, from cold Adirondack highlands to the maritime-moderated coast of Long Island.

Nesting in New York

Across New York, mockingbirds typically nest from March–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.

Warm summers with a shorter nesting season upstate than downstate.

Northern Mockingbirds don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as winterberry, arrowwood viburnum, eastern white pine for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after August.

Native New York plants that attract mockingbirds

Of the regional native plants we track for New York, these 8 provide food or cover mockingbirds use:

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata · Shrub

Winter fruit.

Arrowwood viburnum

Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and insect cover.

Eastern white pine

Pinus strobus · Tree

Seeds and year-round shelter.

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

Staghorn sumac

Rhus typhina · Shrub

Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.

Smooth sumac

Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

Feeding mockingbirds through the New York year

Mockingbirds defend fruiting shrubs from other birds all winter; plant several berry bushes to spread them out.

Best foods: Suet, Fruit, Mealworms.
In New York's winter: Long, snowy winters upstate; lake-effect snow belts make feeders and roost boxes important.

Full diet breakdown for mockingbirds · Best feeder for mockingbirds

Frequently asked

Are mockingbirds in New York year-round?

Yes. Northern Mockingbirds are year-round residents in New York.

When do mockingbirds nest in New York?

Nesting in New York typically runs March–August, with 2–3 per season. Clutches are 2–6 eggs, incubated for 12–13 days.

What native plants attract mockingbirds in New York?

Winterberry, Arrowwood viburnum, Eastern white pine, Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac are native plants in New York that provide food or cover for mockingbirds.

Other backyard birds in New York

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Canada Jay Fox Sparrow

Sources

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.