This story originally appeared on Ars Technica, a trusted source for technology news, tech policy analysis, reviews, and more. Ars is owned by WIRED's parent company, Condé Nast. "When you listen for ...

Q. Why do mockingbirds mimic the songs of other birds? Are there any other bird mimics? Can birds reproduce the sounds of other animals? A. Mimicry is a common trait of the northern mockingbird, which ...

On any soft summer morning, the rays of dawn in San Diego backyards might be mixed with the melodies of a dozen birds. But chances are you are hearing only one or two birds that sing almost endlessly ...

Mockingbirds go through their song sequence three times, brown thrashers do their sequences twice, catbirds only once. Catbirds are so called because their call sounds so like a cat's mew."<P> The ...

In certain New Orleans music scenes, there is a special sound — a signal — that lets players know it's time to pick up their instruments and strike up the band. "It's a bugle call, or a band call, to ...

Thomas Jefferson's immortal words, "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," in the Declaration of Independence may have been partly inspired by the lively mockingbird. Jefferson was enthralled ...

It’s nearing the end of the breeding season, though many birds are still feeding their families away from the nest. I’ve been watching a pair of Northern mockingbirds with two fledglings for the past ...

I walked out of work following one of my night shifts here at The Hour. It was about 11:30 p.m. so the last thing I expected was to have an interesting birdwatching experience in the parking lot. The ...

I’m not sure I’d want to live in a world without the ebullient song of the northern mockingbird. But the email I get from readers at best seeks hints on how to stop them from singing all night long.