Brown-backed mockingbird

Brown-backed mockingbird
Two in Argentina
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Mimidae
Genus: Mimus
Species:
M. dorsalis
Binomial name
Mimus dorsalis

The brown-backed mockingbird (Mimus dorsalis) is a species of bird in the family Mimidae. It is found in Argentina and Bolivia.[2]

Taxonomy and systematics

The brown-backed mockingbird is a sister species to the white-banded mockingbird (Mimus triurus). It is monotypic.[3][2]

Description

The brown-backed mockingbird is 21 to 25.5 cm (8.3 to 10.0 in) long and weighs between 52 and 65 g (1.8 and 2.3 oz) with an average of 58.7 g (2.07 oz). The adult has a well-defined whitish supercilium, a black line through the eye, and dusky cheeks. Its crown and upperparts are chestnut brown that is brightest on the rump. The crown has darker streaks. Most of the tail is blackish but the outer three to four feathers are white. Its underside is whitish with a buff tinge to the chest, sides and flanks. The juvenile is similar with the addition of dusky spotting on its breast.[4]

Distribution and habitat

Most of the brown-backed mockingbird's range is in western and southern Bolivia, from La Paz Department south. It also entends into northwestern Argentina as far south as Tucumán Province.[4]

The brown-backed mockingbird inhabits arid landscapes of brush, desert shrubs, and hedgerows, often near human habitation. In elevation it mostly occurs between 2,300 and 3,500 m (7,500 and 11,500 ft) but can be found as low as 1,700 m (5,600 ft) and as high as 4,200 m (13,800 ft).[4]

Behavior

Feeding

The brown-backed mockingbird forages mostly on the ground, but details of its feeding behavior and diet have not been published.[4]

Breeding

The brown-backed mockingbird breeds from November to March. It constructs a cup nest of twigs, often in cactus and sometimes in a bush. The clutch is four eggs. Essentially nothing else is known about its breeding phenology[4]

Vocalization

Dickcissel male perched on a metal pole singing, with neck stretched and beak open.

Songs and calls
Listen to brown-backed mockingbird on xeno-canto

The brown-backed mockingbird's song is "a series of repeated harsh notes and chuckles".[4]

Status

The IUCN has assessed the brown-backed mockingbird as being of Least Concern.[1] It is not a well-studied species, but appears to be common in suitable habitat and there are no known threats to the population.[4]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mimus dorsalis.
  1. ^ a b BirdLife International (2018). "Brown-backed Mockingbird Mimus dorsalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P. (July 2021). "IOC World Bird List (v 11.2)". Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  3. ^ Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 23 May 2021. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved May 24, 2021
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Cody, M. L. and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Brown-backed Mockingbird (Mimus dorsalis), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.brbmoc1.01 retrieved July 20, 2021