MIMIDAE

songbird family, order Passeriformes, consisting of the mockingbirds, catbirds, and thrashers. The family contains 31 species of medium-sized birds and is notable for its excellent songsters and mimics found in the Western Hemisphere. Members range in size from 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 inches) long. They have slender, strong bills that are often curved downward; strong feet; short, rounded wings; and long tails. They are closely related to the wrens (family Troglodytidae), which they resemble in behaviour and colour, being active, aggressive birds of gray to brownish colouring. They forage for insects and fruit in woodland litter. The family includes the common, or northern, mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) and the catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), both of which are fine singers and mimics of other birdsong. The brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) is a good singer but does not mimic as frequently as the mockingbird. The Mimidae belongs to the songbird suborder (Passeres).