Crows are among a number of birds that practice mobbing- when a predator like a hawk or owl shows up, the crows harass it by flying nearby and basically yelling their heads off until it leaves.
Welcome to this week's edition of Something Wild. I'm Rosemary Conroy for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.
Just like people, certain types of birds drive other birds crazy.
Take crows, for example. These ubiquitous creatures become agitated by the presence of any hawk or owl. If you have ever heard a flock of crows suddenly raucously cawing or otherwise carrying on, it is quite likely that they have spotted a predator. The crows will harass the hawk or owl by flying at it and basically yelling their heads off until it leaves.
Chickadees, blue jays and many other songbirds also practice what is called mobbing. Birds hang out in flocks because there's safety in numbers- more eyes means more predators are likely to be spotted quickly.
The types of hawks and owls that prey on other birds usually do so by stealth. So if a flock of potential prey starts making a fuss, well, basically the predator's cover is blown and it is best to simply move on.
More eyes in a flock also means more beaks to fill, of course. Blue jays, sneaky mimics that they are, have learned to imitate the calls of many hawks. This can come in handy if it appears that there isn't enough food to go around. The jay does his little ventriloquist trick, the other birds fly off to find the offending hawk, and suddenly there isn't as much competition for food anymore.
Birdwatchers also take a somewhat sneaky advantage of mobbing behavior. Although most are careful not to overdo it, imitating avian alarm calls can cause many shy songbirds to suddenly come closer.
Then there's the more passive approach. If you hear a flock of crows raising a ruckus, make sure you look up- and you may get to see a hawk or owl fly by.
Something Wild is a joint production of the Audubon Society of New Hampshire, NHPR and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. For Something Wild, I'm Rosemary Conroy.
