heron

[chessington]

Hi
We frequently get a heron in our garden as next door and the garden opposit have ponds, what I was wondering is the heron gets attacked by crows all the time and when the heron flys away the crows chase it??
Thanks in advance

[squarebear]

That's more of a statement than a question.

I assume the corws chase it as it is on their territory eating their food. Is that what you are asking?

[chessington]

I just wondered if there is a reason why crows attack herons, the heron just sits on the fence and watches both ponds and then the crows always come and swoop it and scare off the heron, then we see the crows flying after the heron, just wondered why they do it, thanks

[shaneystar2]

They call it "Mobbing " Chessington ...Crows mob herons because they probably mistake it for a bird of prey .This RSPB article explains it all
http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/watchingbirds/be haviour/mobbing.asp

[chessington]

thanks for that, very interesting, now I know

[Cetti]

The strangest 'mobbing' I've ever seen, chessington, was last year when I watched a pair of Kestrels being continually bombed by Swifts. It lasted for about half an hour until the poor Kestrels gave up trying to hunt and flew away.

[Lonnie]

We had a heron fly over our garden, and it was surroubded by at least a dozen Crows, but they weren't attacking it as such, they appeared to be shepherding it.

[burnhal]

a secondary reason that herons are mobbed is that they will disgorge recently eaten fish- providing a free feed for the crows or whatever is doing the mobbing