[Length 10 in. Wingspan 14 in.]

This Northern Mockingbird was photographed at the Convention Center gardens, South Padre Island, TX. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: May 1, 2009)

[Length 10 in. Wingspan 14 in.]

This displaying Northern Mockingbird was photographed at the Convention Center gardens, South Padre Island, TX. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens (EFL=345mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: May 1, 2009)

[Length 10 in. Wingspan 14 in.]

This adult feeding a fledgling Northern Mockingbird was photographed at the Convention Center gardens, South Padre Island, TX. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens (EFL=255mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: May 1, 2009)

[Length 10 in. Wingspan 14 in.]

These Northern Mockingbird fledglings were photographed at the Convention Center gardens, South Padre Island, TX. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens (EFL=330mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: May 1, 2009)

[Length 10 in. Wingspan 14 in.]

This Northern Mockingbird was photographed at Frontera Audubon, Weslaco, TX. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens + Nikkor TC14E II 1.4x Teleconverter (EFL=630mm) on a Nikon D300 camera. (Date: January 18, 2010)

[Length 10 in. Wingspan 14 in.]

This Northern Mockingbird was photographed at WBC Bentsen Rio Grande State Park, Mission,Texas. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens + Nikkor TC14E II 1.4x Teleconverter (EFL=630mm) on a Nikon D300 camera. (Date: December 24, 2010)

[Length 17.5 in. Wingspan 26 in.]

Common Murres occur along the northern coasts of North America, Europe, and the Pacific coast of Asia south to Japan. In North America they breed on rocky islands and headlands in western Alaska and eastern and western Canada. Some Atlantic Common Murres show a white eye-ring and trailing white stripe behind the eye, as this "Bridled" Common Murre does. The Common Murre and Thick-billed Murre are almost identical in plumage. The Thick-billed Murre has a slightly thicker bill (hence the name "Thick-billed") with a white stripe. Both are distinguished from their cousins, the Puffins, by their basic "black above and white below" pattern WITHOUT any facial pattern. This "Bridled" Common Murre was photographed in Witless Bay, Newfoundland, Canada. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: July 1994)

[Length 17.5 in. Wingspan 26 in.]

Common Murres occur along the northern coasts of North America, Europe, and the Pacific coast of Asia south to Japan. In North America they breed on rocky islands and headlands in western Alaska and eastern and western Canada. The Common Murre and Thick-billed Murre are almost identical in plumage. The Thick-billed Murre has a slightly thicker bill (hence the name "Thick-billed") with a white stripe. Both are distinguished from their cousins, the Puffins, by their basic "black above and white below" pattern WITHOUT any facial pattern. This one was photographed at the nesting cliffs of St. Paul Island in the Pribilof Islands, Alaska. Photo taken with a 300mm f4.5 Nikkor ED lens on Ektachrome 200 film pushed to 400. (Date: June 1989)