It wasn’t until the 19th century that Northern Mockingbirds began nesting in the Northeastern states. In the 20th century, the birds expanded their range into Ohio and the upper Midwest. Much of California saw the arrival of mockingbirds in the 20th century, too. Habitat change due to humans played a part in their range expansion. Also, many mockingbirds had previously been trapped for the caged bird trade or shot as agricultural pests, and they rebounded when these practices were set aside.
