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Patagonian Mocking-Bird
Mimus patagonicus

DESCRIPTION:
Patagonian Mocking-Bird
Calandria Gris
Mimus patagonicus
Length: 230mm. Sexes alike. Bill black; iris dark brown; upper parts of head, hind neck and above mostly uniform greyish brown; central rectrices blackish, remainder likewise with broad white terminal band. Eyebrow, malar region and chin whitish with two fine black moustache lines on both sides of chin; foreneck and breast light brownish grey; flanks cinnamon grey with faint blackish striation; belly and undertail coverts whitish cream. Lesser wing coverts as back; median and greater coverts blackish with broad white terminal band; remiges blackish, thinly margined whitish. Legs black. Average weight: 69g.
Juveniles resemble adults but with spotted breasts. Specimens in the sub-Andean and Andean regions have a darker coloration overall, belly and undertail coverts cinnamon and cinnamon margins in remiges. Similar species: similar to the Chalk-browed Mocking-Bird (Mimus saturninus) it is however separable by its smaller size, inconspicuous postorbital brow; grey back and belly. Habitat and behaviour: the Patagonian Mocking-Bird is found in arid scrubland, xerophytic monte, shrubby areas and open country with scattered trees in the sub-Andean and Andean regions; either in pairs or in loose parties; being particularly common in arid regions but not so in montane regions. Very tame; this species’ habits are similar to the Chalk-browed Mocking-Bird (Mimus saturninus); however, its song has more varied notes and is mellower. The Patagonian Mocking-Bird is also an imitator of birds’ songs. The nest, an open platform made of sticks, is built in shrubs. The eggs, up to five in number, are greenish with reddish and grey spots. Range: distributed from Neuquén and Río Negro to south of Santa Cruz. Most populations migrate northwards in winter, although some individuals remain year-round in the Patagonian region.
Illustrated Manuan of the Birds of Patagonia
Kindness: Kovacs Family
 
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Photographs: Mariano Diez Peña


Birding Patagonia • Birdwatcing in Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina and Chile.
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Photographs on the website: Mariano Diez Peña