Mockingbirds are beautiful birds, about the size of a robin.  They are slender, gray birds, with white stomachs and white patches on their wings and tails. They have a distinctly long tail. The white patches on their wings are clearly shown when they're in flight, and their wing beats are slow enough to be counted.

Mockingbirds can be found throughout most of the United States, except for the Northwest and the northern Midwest. Oddly, birds found in the western part of the range have been found to be less musical and less mimicking. A bird in Massachusetts was recorded and 36 songs from other species were recognized in its recordings.