Mockingbirds, Thrashers

Mimids, or the Mimidae family, consist of over 30 species of passerine birds, including thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers, and New World catbirds found primarily in the Americas. These birds stand out for their vocal skills, particularly their ability to mimic a wide range of sounds. They display mostly muted grays and browns in coloration, with some sporting bright eye colors, and they generally have a thrush-like appearance, but with longer tails and down-curved bills. Mimids are adaptable, inhabiting various environments from forests to deserts. They forage on the ground using their sturdy legs, mainly eating arthropods and fruits. Their nests are typically untidy and built close to the ground, and they may have several broods per year. Despite their size—ranging from 20 to 33 centimeters in length and weighing 36 to 56 grams—they are closely related to the starlings, forming part of the Muscicapoidea group. Science history indicates that mimids, specifically the Galápagos mockingbirds, were influential in Darwin's evolutionary theory, rivaling the role of the famous finches. The family delineates into various genera based on species' relationships, including Mimus for mockingbirds, Dumetella and Melanoptila for catbirds, several genera for thrashers, and Cinclocerthia for tremblers.