Predation risk drives the expression of mobbing across bird species

Cunha, Filipe Cristovão Ribeiro da ; Fontenelle, Julio Cesar Rodrigues ; Griesser, Michael

In: Behavioral Ecology, 2017, vol. 28, no. 6, p. 1517-1523

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    Summary
    Mobbing is a costly behavior in which prey face a potential predator. Ecological and social traits should influence its expression across species, but their influence on mobbing remains unknown. We exposed birds to 2 owl models that pose different risks. In particular, species that have optimal-prey body size, forage in a safer niche, and form flocks engaged in mobbing. Also, birds adjusted their behavior according to the risk posed by the predator.