Mobbing (animal behavior)

Mobbing in animals is an anti-predator adaptation in which individuals of prey species cooperatively attack or harass a predator, usually to protect their offspring. A simple definition of mobbing is an assemblage of individuals around a potentially dangerous predator.^[1] This is most frequently seen in birds, though it is also known to occur in many other animals such as the meerkat and some bovines.^[2][3] While mobbing has evolved independently in many species, it only tends to be present in those whose young are frequently preyed upon.^[2] This behavior may complement cryptic adaptations in the offspring themselves, such as camouflage and hiding. Mobbing calls may be used to summon nearby individuals to cooperate in the attack.

Konrad Lorenz, in his book On Aggression (1966), attributed mobbing among birds and animals to instincts rooted in the Darwinian struggle to survive. In his view, humans are subject to similar innate impulses but capable of bringing them under rational control (see mobbing).^[4]