by Rev. Richard Barker
Few motion picture scenes are more horrifying than the large raptor dinosaur ransacking a commercial kitchen to devour two children. I remember clearly my terror watching that episode in “Jurassic Park” (1993). The idea that a reptile can hunt down and consume mammals is abhorrent but alas, I can’t say no to Komodo Dragon nature videos.
Fortunately for me, there’s one fearsome descendant of raptors that evokes feelings of delight. It’s our state bird (1927), the whip-smart gray-brown northern Mockingbird. This small bird is a perfect raptor and premier predator of Texas bugs and caterpillars. It’s lightning fast, supremely tactical and surpassed only by its larger cousin, the army’s Apache helicopter. And it has a great memory for people, especially nest intruders.
Unlike many other birds, mockingbirds can walk, hop and run to gulp any six-legged morsel in sight. Flashing their white-patched wings like an umbrella, alternating light and shadow, they flush out bugs in grass. In winter, they pivot to fruits and berries. Few birds anywhere match mockingbirds’ tenacity in defending their nests and territories and adapting to change. The mockingbird justly wins the Oscar for “least concern” by eagle-eyed avian conservationists.
The name mocking bird acknowledges our state bird’s exceptional vocal talents. Drawing on a wide range of sources -- other birds, amphibians, even bug noises -- they sing well over 150 different songs and may serenade you up to midnight. Mockingbirds are monogamous. Males admirably do most of the nest building and share in the feeding of babies. “Listen to the Mockingbird”, a well-known 19th century folk song, poignantly interweaves the mockingbird with human life’s hard-learned lessons. “Through these eyes of light now /I begin to know /All good things in time will come and go . . . . Listen to the mockingbird /And know that life goes on.” Father Barker
