Bahama Mockingbird Mimus gundlachii Scientific name definitions

Despite its name, the Bahama Mockingbird is not endemic to the Bahamas, but in fact is also found on the Turks & Caicos Islands, a handful of small islets off the north coast of Cuba, and in a relatively small area of southern Jamaica. Two subspecies are recognized, with Mimus gundlachii hillii endemic to the last-named island. It is broadly similar in plumage to the more familiar Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), which is out-competing the present species in parts of Cuba, but differs in being slightly larger, with browner upperparts including the wings, and neatly streaked underparts. The species inhabits xeromorphic vegetation, often in coastal zones, in Cuba, elsewhere it ranges into other scrubby and wooded habitats, where it generally favors taller vegetation than the Northern Mockingbird. Vagrants of this species have reached southeast Florida, but nonetheless the Bahama Mockingbird is generally considered to be a sedentary resident. It is just one of several species whose scientific names commemorates the extraordinary achievements of the German naturalist Johannes Gundlach, who spent most of his working life on Cuba.

28 cm; 57–85 g, average 66·8 g. Large brownish mockingbird with long tail. Has dark lores, mottled face , pale supercilium; brownish-grey above , dark streaks from crown to lower back , upperwing-coverts obscurely pale-tipped; outer retrices tipped whitish; throat white, dark malar stripe; underparts light grey, upper breast lightly streaked, flanks distinctly streaked; iris variable, dull yellow to brick orange; bill and legs blackish. Sexes similar, female slightly smaller and shorter-tailed than male. Juvenile is more densely spotted below. Race <em>hillii</em> has more prominent streaking on back, larger white tips on tail (mainly inner webs).

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

• Bahama x Northern Mockingbird (hybrid) Mimus gundlachii x polyglottos

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Loud series of abrupt, varied notes and phrases, with repetition; reportedly less varied and more musical than song of M. polyglottos; males on adjacent territories sing antiphonally. Not known to mimic other species.