those big clusters of birds in parking lots in san antonio- the really loud ones- are
mockingbirds? i thought they were
grackles .
mockingbirds are actually song birds, right? they sing? the ones i'm thinking of (the ones that hang out in the trees of the medical center area parking lots, as well as the ones that hang out in the HEB parking lot by my house - both in san antonio) are shiny black, make a horrible grating noise that is completely unpleasant, and do not sing- they seem to make the most noise at dawn and dusk. these guys remind of Alfred Hitchcocks "the Birds" movie that my father used to make me watch for some reason.
i haven't seen a mockingbird before that i can think of... they seem to be greyish, and actually sing...
i'm not a birder at all. i don't know my species or anything. i don't keep lists. every time i see something, i have to go look it up on the internet (i figure this is the best way to educate myself). if someone could set me straight here, it'd be appreciated... its all about the self education. trying to keep my mind challenged.