The Story
This is a Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) that I photographed in Temecula, California on March 19. It is known for mimicking the calls of other birds and other sounds, including electronic noises. Studies have shown that it can recognize individual people. It is common in open areas, woodland edges and towns. The Temecula Valley was home to the Temecula Indians, now generally known as the Luiseños, and the Pechanga Band believes its ancestors have lived here for more than 10,000 years.
I photographed it with a Canon EOS 70D and a 50-150mm lens, at 1/1600 sec, f/8, ISO 1600, −0.3 EV. IUCN lists the Northern Mockingbird as Least Concern with a decreasing population, and the Temecula Valley Museum in Old Town shares the history of the local Native American band and the valley’s natural history.
©2017 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) belongs to the family Mimidae (Mockingbirds and Thrashers) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2025), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List