Observation of successful mobbing of an insectivorous bat, Taphozous nudiventris (Emballonuridae), on an avian predator, Tyto alba (Tytonidae)
2013
Abstract
Mobbing in animals is an aggressive behaviour performed cooperatively towards a potential predator. In bats, the existence of mobbing is based on both intra- and interspecific behavioural responses of freely flying individuals to distress calls emitted by live bats or playbacked by researchers.
In this note, we describe the mobbing behaviour of free-living naked-bellied tomb bats Taphozous nudiventris on the barn owl Tyto alba as the first direct observation of mobbing by a bat on its potential avian predator.