Today’s batch of burning questions, my smart-aleck answers and the real deal:
Question: When I go for my walks in the Candler area, I often see smaller birds harassing hawks and crows while they are in flight. And I know that crows are known to give owls a hard time. What's that all about? The little birds in particular really seemed to be enjoying themselves, because in a different situation they could be dinner for the hawk.
My answer: I attempted to interview an owl about all of this, seeking the identity of his tormentor. But all I could get out of him was, "Who? Who? Who?" Worst interview ever. Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week.
Real answer: I got a fun and fascinating answer about all this from Kendrick Weeks,
Western Wildlife Diversity Program Supervisor with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
This little birds' technique "is a common nest defense of songbirds to predators and is often referred to as 'mobbing,'" Weeks said via email.
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"In most cases, the bird is just attacking anything that comes near its nest because it is, as my grandfather used to say, 'full of piss and vinegar' — they are basically full of hormones," Weeks said. "Of course, my grandfather was referring to my teenage self and not birds, but you get the picture."
Some feisty species are well-known for this behavior.
"Certain species do this a lot to hawks, such as northern mockingbirds," Weeks said. "At other times, there has been an actual predation event, such as the predator taking fledglings or adults, and the parent continues to attack the predator."
Clearly, the larger birds could put a whoopin' on the smaller birds on the ground or in a cage match, shall we say. But in the air...
"In flight, it can be difficult for a raptor or crow to do anything to the songbird because it so much more maneuverable, but if songbirds aren’t careful they can get a nasty surprise," Weeks said. "Hawks and falcons generally don’t take nestlings but do take fledglings and adults, especially the 'sparrow hawks' like Cooper’s hawk and sharp-shinned hawk, which are almost exclusively bird eaters. Peregrine falcons are also primarily bird eaters."
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Let me pause here to say "sharp-shinned hawk" may be the coolest bird name ever.
"Crows will take eggs, nestlings, and adults and are well known nest predators, and (that) is generally the reason that other birds harass them," Weeks said. "Finally, crows roost together and are often targeted by owls. Corvids (birds in the family Corvidae like ravens, crows, and jays) are considered one of the smartest groups of birds and they likely know who is to blame for nightly raids on their colonial slumber."
Weeks also explained a Facebook phenomenon I've seen a few times, involving pandemic references to "COVID" coming up as "CORVID." Yes, it could be an autocorrect issue, but...
"Interesting side note, if you know birders, they will often trip over COVID-19 and say Corvid-19," Weeks explained. "Don’t blame them, they are just very bird brained — that doesn’t mean that most of their brain is dedicated to balance, orientation, and flight, they just love birds."
Weeks also referred me to a fascinating article on this phenomenon, titled, "What’s Going On When I See Little Birds Going After A Big Bird?" from The Cornell Lab.
You can find it here: https://ift.tt/2DNqItv
The article notes, "Common mobbers include chickadees, titmice, kingbirds, blackbirds, grackles, jays, and crows. Common targets of mobbing are hawks, crows, ravens, herons, and owls. Mobbing can happen at any time of year, but it is especially common in spring as birds experience surges of hormones, become territorial, and begin to nest."
I'll never again look chickadees and titmice without thinking, "You rascally little common mobbers!"
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The article points out that birds employ different kinds of mobbing.
"Birds may chase other birds away from their territories or a food source," it states. "For example, in the early spring Red-winged Blackbirds chase not only rival blackbirds, but almost any other bird, big or small, that crosses their territory."
The article also echoed what Weeks said:
"Mobbing is also used by birds as a way to protect themselves and their young against predators. In these cases you often see a single smaller bird chasing a larger bird in flight (sometimes two or three join the chase as the larger bird crosses territories)."
This is the opinion of John Boyle. To submit a question, contact him at 232-5847 or jboyle@citizen-times.com
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July 15, 2020 at 05:00PM
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Answer Man: Smaller birds 'mobbing' bigger birds? - Citizen Times
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