We describe an encounter of eight territorial California towhees (Melozone crissalis), alternately engaged in mobbing a western scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica) and vigorous conspecific attack and display. We additionally characterize a previously unreported crouching posture adopted by the towhees while surrounding the scrub-jay and hypothesize that this posture communicates submissiveness to conspecific owners of a territory. We suggest that this behavioral sequence resulted from a conflict between cooperation among pairs and defense of resources among pairs, wherein behaviors consistent with both were exhibited nearly simultaneously.
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1 March 2014
Crouching towhee, hidden scrub-jay: California towhees, Melozone crissalis, attack conspecific mobbing partners while assaulting a western scrub-jay, Aphelocoma californica
Jay P. McEntee,
Thomas J. Devitt
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The Southwestern Naturalist
Vol. 59 • No. 1
March 2014
Vol. 59 • No. 1
March 2014