Originally posted by steelcult
Ok - here are the behaviors, in a nutshell
Head dip coupled with tail spread and display - Observed in Bee Eaters, Larks, Magpies and other birds I have not identified - bird takes two to three steps, dips its head then displays its tail - followed by two or three more steps and the same - behavior has been observed in both male and female birds.
Ok the Magpie doing this definitly sounds (reads) as \'Mimiced\' behaviour something Magpies (and other Corvids) are noted for. We have a lot of Magpies around us, being inate scroungers and I\'ve seen two family groups fighting (Very Hitchcock-ian) as well as one \"Mantle\" over food as a Hawk would.
The Larks I\'m not sure about haven\'t seen enough \"Ground\" behaviour only flying ones.
Mobbing/Vectored Mobbing - Larks - a large number of larks move into an area, split into groups of three or four birds then search the area - when they find something of interest the entire group will congregate based upon the calls of the ones finding the interesting bit - I have even observed a mob of larks chase an individual for something he was carrying.
Mobbing is something observed in most bird species, especially group or flocking species. Within the group it\'s not uncommon as dominance factors come into play as well. However I\'ve observed mobbing behaviour carried out by smaller species against predatory birds, Crows, Magpies, Seagulls and Raptors, especially when they have \"nest raided\" chicks.
I\'ve also watched ravens play dominance games by forcing one another off of perches - then the one who instituted the behavior follows the less dominant animal to where it landed and does the same thing again.
Ravens are well noted for Dominance behaviour. There is an old and well defined collective for them as \"A Court of Ravens\". What you are describing is definatley a common heirarchical behaviour among an established colony.
Ravens have been observed attacking other Ravens from other colonies (Territorial Threat Behaviour) but also will allow \"exiles\" from colonies to join and mate, but force them to remain at the finges of the colonies.
In reference to the exiles, there are instances where the colony will force an individual away from the colonies area. Hence the \"exile\".
Good grief the old \"Haliwell\'s\" biology text book actually stuck with me.
