The state bird of Florida is the Northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) . The mockingbird was designated as the official state bird in 1927 by the Florida Legislature. The common mockingbird is a superb songbird and mimic, and its own song has a pleasant lilting sound and is, at times, both varied and repetitive. The mockingbird is usually about ten inches in length, with a fifteen-inch wingspan, grayish upper portions, white undersides, and white patches on the tail and wings. The female has slightly less whiteness in its feathers than the male. The mockingbird is helpful to humans because it usually feeds on insects and weed seeds, and in the summer and fall, it also eats ripe berries. The mockingbird is known for its fierce defense of the family nest.