Last weekend I helped get the Fields Pond Nature Center ready for summer use. I helped clear trails of fallen branches and trees, while others cleared up roadside debris and replaced footbridges that had been dislodged by snow and ice. As we worked, the day turned bright and sunny – at last it seemed as if it were really spring. This, of course, led to talk of returning migrants and to birds spotted in the area.

A fellow volunteer mentioned that she saw what she believed to be a mockingbird around her neighborhood. Could this really be true, she asked? Most people think this bird inhabits more southerly latitudes; some range maps confirm this belief. However, this bird has been expanding its range north in recent years, as have some other birds.

I consulted K.C. Derrickson and R. Breitwisch’s account of the mockingbird in the “Birds of North America” series to find out why. It appears that they are quick to take advantage of suburban, even urban, habitats, as long as they contain ornamental plantings of fruit-bearing trees and shrubs and a small patch of lawn. In fact, Derrickson and Breitwisch relate that the widespread planting of Multiflora Rose, a favorite winter fruit of mockingbirds, may be a significant factor in the bird’s expansion.

(This rose is nonnative and invasive, so avoid using it in your landscaping. The fruit of hollies, cedars, and junipers, as well as blackberries, raspberries, elderberries, and strawberries will attract mockingbirds. The hips of native roses are also consumed by mockingbirds; ask your local nursery to recommend varieties hardy to this area.)

I can personally attest to the mockingbird’s success in urban landscapes. I remember a particular area in Jersey City, N.J., where I grew up. In my childhood it was a nice neighborhood: big, beautiful old trees lined both sides of the street, and there was a lot of greenery in people’s yards.

When I moved there as an adult, not a single tree remained; the street had mutated into a cracked concrete alley, crowded with cars and people. Some buildings, such as the apartment complex I moved into, still had some token ornamental shrubbery in front “courtyards.” I had to call this home for some years, but the sentence was made bearable by two pairs of mockingbirds that had staked out territories at either end of the street.

One particular spring night I woke to hear a male singing. The bedside clock read 11:55, but he didn’t care one bit – he sang with gusto, and in his repertoire I could identify the birds he was imitating: house sparrow, starling, blue jay, cardinal, red-winged blackbird-and many other birds whose songs I was not familiar with at the time. I marveled at the number of songs he could reproduce.

The mockingbird is well studied because of its mimicking ability. P.G. Merritt, studying two birds in Florida, documented nearly 200 songs for each. In addition, they also imitate mechanical sounds.

I’ll always remember that night when the mockingbird sang. Since I was usually jolted awake by car alarms, police sirens, or people yelling, it sure was refreshing – calming, actually – to be awakened by birdsong. I fell back to sleep listening to its sweet tones.

Chris Corio, a volunteer at Fields Pond Nature Center in Holden, can be reached at fieldspond@juno.com