Linking with Wild Bird Wednesday.
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Mobbing
I learned something new today. When smaller birds swoop and dash at flying or perched larger birds, it's called "mobbing". Common "mobbers" include chickadees, titmice, kingbirds, blackbirds, grackles, jays, and crows. Common targets of mobbing (mobbees??) are hawks, crows, ravens, herons, and owls.
We have a hawk that likes to hang out at the top of this tall pine across the street. The other day this smaller bird was making a huge ruckus, and was very definitely "mobbing" the hawk. It went on for hours. In this photo, the hawk has his back turned as if to say "leave me alone, I'm totally ignoring you!"
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Great photo!
ReplyDeleteI have seen Mockingbirds mobbing Hawks here
That's very interesting that birds do that, nice photo and thanks for sharing. Warm greetings!
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, I did not now it was a common explanation, but I see the point ;-))
ReplyDeleteNot something I see here. Excellent photo!
ReplyDeleteIt is brave and amazing to see!
ReplyDeleteExcellent catch!
ReplyDeleteNice photo! I see mobbing all the time, but never knew what it was called, thanks!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a Mockingbird that is not happy with a hawk in the area.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ruth. I thought that might be a Mockingbird, but wasn't sure!
DeleteI'm never sure if one bird on its own can constitute a mob but, you're right, that's the word that birdwatchers use for this action. In fact it's often the best way to spot a roosting owl as they are so adept at hiding themselves up against a tree trunk that you seldom spot them without the din being kicked up by smaller birds. I've noticed that our local pigeons have another strategy to annoy large birds of prey: knowing full well that they are able to fly faster from a standing start than any hawk, they perch within a few feet of the bird of prey seemingly teasing it into giving chase. The hawk seems to find this intensely annoying and flies off elsewhere. Crows are interesting in that they are mobbed by small birds and also themselves mob large birds of prey.
ReplyDeleteHello!:) Great picture!:) I have always been amazed at the bravery of the smaller birds mobbing a larger bird. It seems that they know they can outfly them, and do it just for fun,...spunky adrenalin junkies!:=)
ReplyDeleteFunny you should mention that. We have Red Kits flying around our area and garden One perches on a nearby tree and upsets the crows who mob it. Funny watching them flying around with a couple of crows in tow till they get pi$$ed off with them and do a complete 360 back on the crows
ReplyDeleteI don't think the little bird understands that at any time the hawk can just eat him.. did not know about the mobbing. I saw a black bird so big at Walmart this morning I thought it was a giant raven.. thanks for stopping by one of my blogs.
ReplyDeletethat rusty truck in your header is AWESOME
ReplyDeleteLocally, the mockingbirds and blue jays go nuts when one of our hawks or ospreys venture near.
ReplyDeleteI always wondered why they do that.
ReplyDeleteDon't they usually do it to protect their young? The ravens get mobbed all the time here in the spring by smaller birds who have their nests in the rabbit brush bushes that cover our fields. And when hawks come around, they get mobbed by the ravens and chased away. You rarely see hawks here, where there really should be a lot of them. I didn't know it was called mobbing. A fitting term for it, I think.
ReplyDeleteAmazing
ReplyDeleteWow. Good shot.
ReplyDeleteWell I've learned something new today :-)
ReplyDeleteAm glad you discovered Alisio Beach - Alisio Creek and Laguna Niguel is where we were every weekend when living in Costa Mesa. Scrap Palm Springs in the summer, even if it's a well known place. Lovely beach pics. You probably took these around sunset or very early in the day? (because I can't remember seeing the beach empty, unless it was in winter!)
ReplyDeleteI learn a new english word today!
ReplyDeleteI learn a new english word today!
ReplyDeleteI never knew that! Thanks!
ReplyDelete