A cross-taxonomic explanatory framework for mobbing behavior

Nora V Carlson and Hans Slabbekoorn

Behavioral Ecology, 2026, vol. 37, issue 2, araf153.

Abstract: Mobbing is an important antipredator strategy wherein prey approach harass and attack nonhunting predators, using conspicuous stereotyped movements and/or vocalizations. This behavior can reduce current and future threats of predation. In this paper, we aim to provide a framework that integrates prey, predator, and environmental factors, to illuminate how multiple factors and their interactions can explain mobbing propensity. We hope to encourage targeted and systematic investigation into the ecology and evolution of mobbing by focusing on an integrated view on life history, social, and ecological conditions, and a broader taxonomic spread of investigations. By incorporating a broader view of an animal's ecology, we can better understand the tradeoff that individuals experience when deciding to engage in mobbing, and by examining this behavior across different species, life-histories, ecologies, and communities, we can better understand the larger ecological contexts in which mobbing is an effective strategy as opposed to when it is not. Finally, we highlight some other areas we feel need further investigation to advance our understanding of mobbing.

Keywords: antipredator strategy; communication network; mobbing; predator-prey interactions; environmental conditions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/beheco/araf153 (application/pdf)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:beheco:v:37:y:2026:i:2:p:araf153.

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://academic.oup.com/journals

Access Statistics for this article

Behavioral Ecology is currently edited by Louise Barrett

More articles in Behavioral Ecology from International Society for Behavioral Ecology Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, UK.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Oxford University Press ().