Rocky the Mocky Trivia Quiz

Answer: Northern mockingbird

The northern mockingbird has a range from California to Maine, Central America to Canada, the Hawaiian Islands and Cuba. Its conservation status is "least concern" in the first half of the twenty-first century.

Answer: Mockingbird

The concept of a state bird was proposed in 1920 when the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs brought up the idea. Governor Dan Moody approved it and Texas became the first state with an official state bird in 1927, choosing the northern mockingbird. Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi and Arkansas have since adopted the same as their state bird.

Answer: It perches like a sparrow

The largest order of birds is "passerines," true perching birds. It includes finches, songbirds, canaries and any other bird with three toes forward and one facing back and capable of clinging to a perch or limb. More than half of bird species are passerines.

Answer: 200

Most mockingbirds have about 200 different sounds. These calls are mimics of other birds, insects, mechanical noises such as rusty gates or squeaky doors, sometimes even amphibians and car alarms. They mimic the sound four to six times and move to the next, taking about twenty minutes to go through their repertoire. There has never been an observed case of mocking a mourning dove.

Answer: False

Mockingbirds can (and sometimes will!) sing at any time, mostly in the spring and summer. Usually it's a young male searching for a mate and to claim territory but older males who have lost their mate will also sing a lot.

Answer: Fiercely so

Mockingbirds will attack larger potential predators and will aggressively defend their nests. They are capable of recognizing individual people and animals that have encroached their territory repeatedly and will harass them.

Answer: Less than 55 grams, about two ounces

The typical northern male mockingbird weighs about 1.8 ounces, roughly 50 grams. This is approximately the same as two slices of sandwich bread.

Answer: No

No, killing a mockingbird is illegal, and rightfully so. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, signed into law by US President Woodrow Wilson in 1918, made it unlawful to kill, capture, sell, trade and transport migratory and wild songbirds without authorization by the Department of Interior US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The punishments for violating this law include fines up to $500 and six months in jail.

Answer: False

The differences aren't easily visible; the male is slightly larger and sings more while the female has a little less white and stays on the nest. They're unlike cardinals and it's difficult to tell the difference with a quick glance.

Answer: False

Mockingbirds will pretty much eat anything they can get down their gullet: insects, worms, seeds, fruits, even small lizards and crustaceans. Their diet is quite varied and they will hunt these creatures for their consumption.