Demographic Dynamics of a Population of Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottus) in New Orleans, U.S.A., before and after Hurricane Katrina

Abstract. Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottus) were studied between 1995 and 2015 on a university campus in New Orleans, U.S.A., spanning the 2005 landfall of Hurricane Katrina. The storm subjected the city to high winds and a prolonged flood. Nesting success showed a spike for 3 y after the storm, after which it gradually sank back to near pre-storm levels. Number of broods detected jumped from the first to the second year after the storm on campus and at two nearby residential sites. Success of males in acquiring mates improved from the first nesting season after the storm to the second across the three sites. Results draw attention to the importance of considering top-down effects in analyzing the recovery of storm-impacted birds.