mockingbird

From mocking +‎ bird, from the ability of the birds to mimic sounds and, in some cases, hum as a wake up call.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɒkɪŋbɜːd/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑkɪŋˌbɝd/
• Hyphenation: mock‧ing‧bird

mockingbird (plural mockingbirds)

1. A long-tailed American songbird of the Mimidae family, noted for its ability to mimic calls of other birds.

   Synonym: mocker

2. (archaic) Synonym of tui (“a species of honeyeater, Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae, a bird which is endemic to New Zealand”)

• The family Mimidae (mimids) also includes thrashers, tremblers, and the New World catbirds.

• mockingbird on Wikipedia.Wikipedia