Can anyone identify this nocturnal bird for me? Western North Carolina mountains

I’ve lived in the same place for 33 years and have never heard this bird call at night.

There were only two of them in this video, calling back and forth with four very distinct sounds.

The sounds you hear (other than the dogs barking in the distance) are just these two birds.

They begin calling around 11pm and by 9am they stop.

[Melody-mtim]

Some here have said mockingbird which I do think it is possible, considering the variety of calls. I think it’s odd to be hearing such consistent sounds from a mockingbird all night though, at least in the Piedmont and Sandhills where I’ve lived in NC.

I recently discovered that what I thought was a red shouldered hawk cry was actually a blue jay and that led me to learn that blue jays are incredible mimics and have a slightly lower voice than mockingbirds.
I haven’t heard any at night, I don’t believe, but I would think it’s just as possible as a mockingbird, or any of the corvids.

There are only so many birds that call at night and throughout the night, and only so many that have good mimicry skills, day or night.

I wonder if the birds in your video became a recurring nightly presence for a season or if it was just one or two nights and then they were gone?
If it only happened a few times, I would lean towards it being a daytime bird like a corvid or perhaps mockingbird that was traveling/migrating with their mate and ended up roosting in different trees far enough apart that they needed to make sure the other okay and still there until they reunited in the morning.

However, if the birds stayed and became part of your nightly soundscape, I honestly have no idea what could be responsible.
Definitely curious though!!






P.S. I found your video when trying to figure out a night bird sound that I can only describe as almost a soft purring trill that is very similar to a sound that a turkey I used to have would make when she was sleeping. I’ve only heard the mystery sound at night and not been able to find the source. It could maybe be a wild turkey but I haven’t seen any around in the daytime yet.

[cswatson]

That actually may be northern mockingbird. They do that at night.

[dapv]

That's a wren of some sort. The Carolina wren is common to central and Eastern Carolina and they can be quite talkative at night. It's probably nesting nearby.