Northern Mockingbirds in Utah
When mockingbirds are present in Utah, when they nest, which native Utah plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 4a–9a yard.
- Status in Utah
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- March–August
- Broods
- 2–3 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 4a–9a
When to expect mockingbirds in Utah
Northern Mockingbirds live in Utah all year. Cold winters with valley inversions; mountain birds descend to backyards. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward holly, hackberry, pokeweed and multiflora fruit.
Semi-arid to arid, with the Wasatch Range rising above the Great Basin and red-rock canyon country in the south.
Nesting in Utah
Across Utah, 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, dry summers.
- Northern Mockingbirds don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as smooth sumac, virginia creeper, chokecherry for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after August.
Native Utah plants that attract mockingbirds
Of the regional native plants we track for Utah, these 8 provide food or cover mockingbirds use:
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Blue fruit on red stems in early fall.
Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.
Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.
White fruit and red winter stems; good thicket cover.
Berry-like cones feed bluebirds, solitaires and waxwings in winter.
Seeds and bark insects; pygmy nuthatch and woodpecker habitat.
Acorns for jays and woodpeckers across the southern Rockies.
Feeding mockingbirds through the Utah year
Mockingbirds defend fruiting shrubs from other birds all winter; plant several berry bushes to spread them out.
- Best foods: Suet, Fruit, Mealworms.
- In Utah's winter: Cold winters with valley inversions; mountain birds descend to backyards.
Full diet breakdown for mockingbirds · Best feeder for mockingbirds
Frequently asked
Are mockingbirds in Utah year-round?
Yes. Northern Mockingbirds are year-round residents in Utah.
When do mockingbirds nest in Utah?
Nesting in Utah 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 Utah?
Smooth sumac, Virginia creeper, Tall goldenrod, Chokecherry, Red-osier dogwood, Rocky Mountain juniper, Ponderosa pine, Gambel oak are native plants in Utah that provide food or cover for mockingbirds.
Northern Mockingbirds in other regions
Other backyard birds in Utah
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 — Utah
- 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.