Editing Socorro mockingbird (section)

==Ecology and status==
The Socorro mockingbird today lives mainly in unmodified low [[forest]] above 600&nbsp;m (2000&nbsp;ft), where it prefers groves of ''[[Oreopanax xalapensis]]'' and the endemic ''[[Guettarda insularis]]'', with an understorey dominated by ''[[Triumfetta socorrensis]]'' and the endemic ''[[Eupatorium pacificum]]''.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" /> As late as March 1953 it was still "common" at lower elevations, foraging in [[arid]] open [[shrubland]]s of ''[[Croton masonii]]'' and [[opuntia|prickly pear]].<ref group=note>Probably [[Engelmann's Prickly Pear]] (''Opuntia engelmannii''): Brattstrom & Howell (1956)</ref><ref name = b&h1953 /> In November of the same year, the birds had retired to the more [[humid]] forest in the uplands and were busy singing and defending territories.<ref name = b&h1953 /> Today, they mainly remain in ''[[Ficus cotinifolia]]'' stands when visiting the lower elevations.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" /> The breeding season is extended, with nests in attendance between November and July, with the peak laying occurring in March and April.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" /> Three eggs are laid, which take no more 15 days to hatch.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" />

The birds are generally reluctant to fly and as late as the mid-20th century were still fatally unwary; if pressed they will rather hop away than fly and if they take wing, it is usually for a few meters only.<ref name = b&h1953 /> This may be an adaptation to the fact that Socorro has no native [[Terrestrial animal|terrestrial]] [[predator]]s, but [[red-tailed hawk]]s and [[great frigatebird]]s that not infrequently prey on mockingbird-sized birds.

This species feeds on small [[invertebrate]]s, the remains of [[land crab]]s (''[[Johngarthia planata]]'')<ref name = b&h1953/> and fruit, namely of the endemic shrubs ''[[Ilex socorrensis]]'' and ''[[Sideroxylon socorrense]]'', the latter of which has also become rare.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" /> Flies are pecked up but do not seem to be snatched out of the air.<ref name = b&h1953 /> Like many [[Mimidae]], the Socorro mockingbird is an aggressive, solitary species living alone or with its partner. When they come together at a plentiful food source – e.g. [[blowflies]] on a [[Carrion|carcass]] – there is a marked [[social hierarchy]] between birds and rarely are more than two or three actively feeding; the less dominant birds hang around nearby, waiting for their turn.<ref name = b&h1953 />

The call is two medium followed by one lower whistle. Less often, a full song is given, consisting of a variable warbling tune, repeated several times as in many [[mockingbird]]s. It is not clear whether this species imitates other birds like its relatives do; in any case only the Socorro [[tropical parula]], [[Socorro towhee]] and [[Socorro wren]] would seem to possess songs that might serve as models for the mockingbirds, and except the parula these are not often found in the mockingbird's core [[habitat]].<ref name = b&h1953 />

===Status and conservation===
This species numbers fewer than 400 individuals altogether and is considered [[Critically Endangered]] by the [[IUCN]]. ''Mimus graysoni'' is mostly threatened by [[habitat loss]] caused by [[feral]] sheep and the [[locust]] ''[[Schistocerca piceifrons]]'', and predation by feral [[cat]]s which became established after 1953, probably in the early 1970s. It is not believed that the [[northern mockingbird]] which has colonized Socorro in the late 20th century is limiting the recovery of its relative; the two ''Mimus'' do not occupy the same habitat and even if they did, the native bird is larger and more powerful and would probably simply outcompete its mainland relative in native vegetation at least. The [[island restoration|extermination]] of the sheep is underway in the hope of restoring the island ecosystem.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" />

On one hand, it seems that the Socorro mockingbird is a prolific species and would be able to increase in numbers quickly if habitat improves. On the other hand, its terrestrial habits make it vulnerable to cat predation and this may limit its recovery even if sheep are contained; it is not known for example in how far foraging in the lowlands – now cat-ridden – was important for robust breeding success. In addition, it can be expected that predation on this species by both the native red-tailed hawk as well as the feral cats has increased since the [[Socorro dove]] – formerly a preferred prey item – has become [[extinct in the wild]]. Cerro Evermann, Socorro's main [[volcano]], is still active and erupts on a limited scale every few decades;<ref name=GVP/> as the mockingbirds seem to depend on upland forest habitat, a major eruption could place the species in jeopardy (see also [[San Benedicto rock wren]]). This threat is not considered significant compared to the problem of introduced species however.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" />