Abstract
We describe an encounter of eight territorial California towhees (Melozone crissalis), alternately engaged in mobbing a western scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica) and vigorous conspecific attack and display. We additionally characterize a previously unreported crouching posture adopted by the towhees while surrounding the scrub-jay and hypothesize that this posture communicates submissiveness to conspecific owners of a territory. We suggest that this behavioral sequence resulted from a conflict between cooperation among pairs and defense of resources among pairs, wherein behaviors consistent with both were exhibited nearly simultaneously.
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