Perch Supply
Diet

What do mockingbirds eat?

Insects in summer; fruit in fall and winter.

Mockingbirds and thrashers (Mimidae)Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos

Spring and summer diet

  • Beetles, grasshoppers and ants

Fall and winter diet

  • Holly, hackberry, pokeweed and multiflora fruit

Best feeder foods

  • Suet
  • Fruit
  • Mealworms

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

Which feeder works best for mockingbirds →

Where mockingbirds need winter food

Regions where mockingbirds are present in the cold months:

AlabamaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMarylandMassachusettsMississippiMissouriNebraskaNevadaNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaOhioOklahomaPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasUtahVirginiaWest Virginia

Frequently asked

What do mockingbirds eat?

Insects in summer; fruit in fall and winter.

What is the best food to feed mockingbirds?

Suet, Fruit, Mealworms.

What do mockingbirds eat in winter?

Holly, hackberry, pokeweed and multiflora fruit.

Sources

  1. Northern Mockingbird — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  2. Northern Mockingbird life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  3. Northern Mockingbird — Audubon Guide to North American Birds

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.