LOCAL TEXAS ICON
Mockingbird THE
The songbird who embodies the spirit of Texas by
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CASSANDRA LANCE-MARTINEZ
T’S BEEN CALLED the “King of Song,” can be found just about everywhere in Texas, and has an exceptional ability to mimic just about any noise in its environment — other birds, insects, amphibians, even mechanical noises. And for more than nine decades, the mockingbird has worn the title of Texas’ official state bird. While the northern mockingbird is present across North America, it was designated by the Texas Legislature as the state bird in January 1927 at the request of the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs. The mockingbird, the Federation noted, is an astonishingly unique and intelligent songbird, confirmed by “ornithologists, musicians, educators and Texans in all walks of life.” Additionally, the mocker is “a fighter for the protection of his home, falling, if need be, in its defense, like any true Texan.”
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