Do crows chase mocking birds away from their territory?
Over the last year or so I’ve noticed that it seems the mocking birds have moved out and the crows have moved in. I know that crows will chase raptors relentlessly.
It could be a seasonal thing, I guess, but I think crows tend to stick around as long as their needs are satisfied. I don’t know if mocking birds migrate or not.
I’m talking bad-ass city birds here, not those sissy country birds.
Peace,
mangeorge
Excellent site here. You can also look up the American Crow.
According to that site, mockingbirds do not migrate. I can’t imagine them standing up to crows for long; crows are larger and more intelligent, and form huge flocks, whereas mockingbirds are relatively solitary. The only question is whether crows would bother; mockingbirds will certainly attack crows, or anything else, but crows are better known for attacking raptors.
However, crows do eat eggs and young from other birds, including mockingbirds, so it’s possible that your local mockingbirds were, um, eaten out of house and home.
My local mockingbirds are extremely aggressive against crows-chasing them and pecking them in the rear if need be, until said corvid has left the mockers’ territory.
Ours do that too. They also dive-bomb and chase squirrels, cats, people–anything they think might be a threat to their nests and young’uns.