Is it dangerous for a small bird to mob a large bird? Mobbing behavior is less risky than it appears, provided they keep an eye on the predator and don’t take too many chances. Even inanimate objects like paint cans and statues can experience the wrath of mobbing birds. I remember that my sister had to change her running route to avoid a red-winged blackbird that would dive bomb her anytime she got too close to his post in a cornfield. Cats, foxes, snakes, and even humans have the pleasure of being on the receiving end of this fury. Predator birds are not the only animal at risk of being mobbed, as prey birds will mob anything they consider to be a danger. Some recent research has also shown that mobbing might give males the chance to advertise their best physical qualities, in an effort to impress potential mating partners. This noisy mobbing will also help younger inexperienced birds understand the danger of a predator.
A predator will have a hard time sneaking up on prey if a bird blows its cover with loud alarm calls. So why do birds mob? There are several reasons, the most obvious being to protect themselves and their young. Rarely do the birds make physical contact. While we saw the hawk being mobbed in flight, predators may also be attacked on the ground or while perched in a tree. It usually starts with one or two birds and gradually builds up in numbers, sometimes with a variety of species joining in. When these birds spot a predator like a hawk or owl, they start to emit alarm calls and fly directly at it, hoping to force it to leave the area. Mobbing is a bird behavior recorded in a wide range of species, but is most often seen among crows, gulls, and terns. The crows were mobbing the hawk, chasing after it in an attempt to scare it away. Before we had time to register what had just happened, “CAOur eyes followed the birds and I quickly realized what we were witnessing.
We were obliviously admiring wildflowers when “WHOOSH”, just inches from our heads a red-tailed hawk came streaking through at full speed. My daughter and I witnessed a bird mobbing in the field at BRLT’s Oak Point Farm a few days ago.