Tennessee · Year-round resident

Northern Mockingbirds in Tennessee

When mockingbirds are present in Tennessee, when they nest, which native Tennessee plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 6a–8a yard.

Mockingbirds and thrashers (Mimidae)Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos

Status in Tennessee: Year-round resident
Nesting window: March–August
Broods: 2–3 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 6a–8a

When to expect mockingbirds in Tennessee

Northern Mockingbirds live in Tennessee all year. Moderate winters; high elevations in the Smokies hold northern species year-round. 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, from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Mississippi River floodplain.

Nesting in Tennessee

Across Tennessee, 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.

Hot, humid summers in the valleys.

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 Tennessee plants that attract mockingbirds

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

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.

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata · Shrub

Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.

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.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Feeding mockingbirds through the Tennessee year

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

Best foods: Suet, Fruit, Mealworms.
In Tennessee's winter: Moderate winters; high elevations in the Smokies hold northern species year-round.

Full diet breakdown for mockingbirds · Best feeder for mockingbirds

Frequently asked

Are mockingbirds in Tennessee year-round?

Yes. Northern Mockingbirds are year-round residents in Tennessee.

When do mockingbirds nest in Tennessee?

Nesting in Tennessee 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 Tennessee?

Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac, White oak, Bur oak are native plants in Tennessee that provide food or cover for mockingbirds.

Other backyard birds in Tennessee

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch 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-headed Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pine Siskin 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 White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Eurasian Collared-Dove

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.