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Index of Subjects --000000000000152b8f05a611c27b Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Re mobbing calls regrettably it is still a common practice among birders. With cell phones and birding apps its easy to produce and playback them at will. On Tue., May 19, 2020, 21:38 John Kearney, <j.f.kearney@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Burkhard, > Many bird species have mobbing calls. You may have seen the Black-capped > Chickadee doing this many times. Perhaps you thought it was curious about > you but more likely, it was letting other birds know of your presence. One > of the fascinating things about mobbing calls is that some species > understand the unique mobbing calls of another species as a mobbing call > and will join in multi-species harassment of a predator. Mobbing works, it > is believed, not so much because the predator is frightened, but because it > has been outed. It has lost the advantage of a surprise attack. In the > past, birders would play recordings of mobbing calls to attract a wide > variety of species, and with the hopes flushing out a rare bird. Birders > have abandoned this practice since it causes unnecessary stress to the > birds and distracts them from more important tasks such as feeding young or > building up fat reserves for their migration. > John > > -----Original Message----- > From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca On Behalf Of Burkhard Plache > Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2020 18:59 > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: [NatureNS] Question: Starling Behaviour > > Hello fellow naturalists: > > We have a pair of starlings is raising its brood in a former hairy > woodpecker cavity in our front yard. Today, there were some 10-12 starlings > scattered in the nearby branches. A few minutes later, a big ruckus broke > out, with a squirrel departing the tree at high speed pursued by some 5-6 > of the starlings. > > My question is: Are starlings known to band together in times of trouble? > If so, they must have some means of calling for help in case of a threat. > > Curious, > Burkhard > > --000000000000152b8f05a611c27b Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"auto">Re mobbing calls regrettably it is still a common practic= e among birders.=C2=A0 With cell phones and birding apps its easy to produc= e and playback them at will.</div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir= =3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Tue., May 19, 2020, 21:38 John Kearney, &l= t;j.f.kearney@gmail.com> wr= ote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;= border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Hi Burkhard,<br> Many bird species have mobbing calls. You may have seen the Black-capped Ch= ickadee doing this many times. Perhaps you thought it was curious about you= but more likely, it was letting other birds know of your presence. One of = the fascinating things about mobbing calls is that some species understand = the unique mobbing calls of another species as a mobbing call and will join= in multi-species harassment of a predator. Mobbing works, it is believed, = not so much because the predator is frightened, but because it has been out= ed. It has lost the advantage of a surprise attack. In the past, birders wo= uld play recordings of mobbing calls to attract a wide variety of species, = and with the hopes flushing out a rare bird. Birders have abandoned this pr= actice since it causes unnecessary stress to the birds and distracts them f= rom more important tasks such as feeding young or building up fat reserves = for their migration. <br> John<br> <br> -----Original Message-----<br> From: <a href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca" target=3D"_blank" re= l=3D"noreferrer">naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca</a> On Behalf Of Burkhard Pl= ache<br> Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2020 18:59<br> To: <a href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" target=3D"_blank" rel=3D"nor= eferrer">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a><br> Subject: [NatureNS] Question: Starling Behaviour<br> <br> Hello fellow naturalists:<br> <br> We have a pair of starlings is raising its brood in a former hairy woodpeck= er cavity in our front yard. Today, there were some 10-12 starlings scatter= ed in the nearby branches. A few minutes later, a big ruckus broke out, wit= h a squirrel departing the tree at high speed pursued by some 5-6 of the st= arlings.<br> <br> My question is: Are starlings known to band together in times of trouble?<b= r> If so, they must have some means of calling for help in case of a threat.<b= r> <br> Curious,<br> Burkhard<br> <br> </blockquote></div> --000000000000152b8f05a611c27b--
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