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From: horvath@granite.cr.bull.com (John Horvath)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Northern Mockingbird (I think)
Keywords: Beginner/Help/Identify
Message-ID: <1990May29.215526.25145@granite.cr.bull.com>
Date: 29 May 90 21:55:26 GMT
References: <976@soleil.UUCP>
Organization: Bull HN Information Systems Inc.
Lines: 19

In article <976@soleil.UUCP> mcaloon@soleil.UUCP (Barbara McAloon) writes:
>
>At times, I have opened the window and made my own sounds -- "cheep, cheep,
>birdeeee, birdeeee, birdeeee" and to my amazement, it repeats what I say.
>
>Based on such little information, can anyone identify this bird?  Don't birds 
>sleep at night?  Can these sounds be coming from bats?  
>

There is no doubt that what you are describing is a mockingbird. The
only bird that sings so loud at night that it causes people to hear it
that normally aren't out listening for such things, is a mockingbird.
It can get rather annoying if it decides to do this next to your
window and you are a light sleeper.

Another clue is that the mockingbird will repeat a phrase 3 times,
pick something completely different and repeat it 3 times, and
continue this until it gets distracted. Sometimes it may repeat the
phrase more or less times, but 3 times is the characteristic number.