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Mobbing in the Pied Flycatcher. Effect of Experiencing a Live Owl on Responses to a Stuffed Facsimile
Author(s) -
Shalter Michael D.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
zeitschrift für tierpsychologie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.739
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-0310
pISSN - 0044-3573
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0310.1978.tb01828.x
Subject(s) - mobbing , predation , stimulus (psychology) , predator , quake (natural phenomenon) , zoology , biology , ecology , psychology , social psychology , cognitive psychology , seismology , geology
A surprisingly high proportion (42 %) of breeding pied flycatchers failed to mob a stuffed pygmy owl placed near the nests. To determine whether the range of effective stimulus objects eliciting mobbing could be extended in these “non‐mobbers”, a live owl, resembling the ineffective dummy in nearly all static owl traits, was briefly exposed. It evoked strong mobbing from all birds, as did the stuffed specimen on a subsequent presentation. The role of experience with live predators and the effect of labile properties of the latter on the mobbing response are discussed.