Why Do Mockingbirds Copy?
Mockingbirds live in North and South America. They are good copycats. They imitate other birds. But they can also imitate other animals. They can even make sounds like a piano or car alarm. Mockingbirds learn to sing many songs. Some learn more than 200 different songs. They can often trick people! But mockingbirds can’t trick other birds. If they can’t trick other birds, why do they copy sounds? They do it to attract and avoid other birds!
Males are loud singers, and they sing many songs. They always sing when they want to meet females. A male bird can sing most of the day and night. The singing attracts females. But it also keeps away other males. The longer a mockingbird lives, the more songs it knows. To show this characteristic, the male mockingbird sings all the songs it knows. A female mockingbird is attracted to a male who has lived a long time.
Mockingbirds usually sing short songs. They sing each sound several times. Then they move to the next sound. Female mockingbirds sing softly and less often than males. They usually sing at their nests in the winter to keep away other birds. When another bird comes near, the mockingbird makes a loud noise to frighten it. It’s amazing that the mockingbird can copy so many songs of other birds. Some songs are not easy to learn. The mockingbird must listen well to imitate the sounds. But a mockingbird also has good eyes and a good memory. When a person comes near its nest, the mockingbird remembers that person. It knows that person’s face after many years!
【小题1】Mockingbirds are special because they can .| A．create songs | B．copy sounds |
| C．remember other birds | D．understand human’s words |
| A．size | B．eyesight | C．memory | D．voice |
| A．To recommend a course on birdlife. | B．To call on people to protect birds. |
| C．To give advice on feeding birds. | D．To introduce an interesting bird. |
