pecking order
pecking order, Basic pattern of social organization within a flock of poultry in which each bird pecks another lower in the scale without fear of retaliation and submits to pecking by one of higher rank. For groups of mammals (e.g., baboon, wolf) or other birds, the term “dominance hierarchy” is usually used, and the ranking often involves feeding or mating.
Citation Information
Article Title:
pecking order
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
24 March 2009
Access Date:
March 15, 2025