New research from the Universities of Cambridge and Exeter reveals for the first time that, contrary to current models used to explain the movement of flocks, the differences between bird species and social relationships between individuals play a critical role in determining the dynamics of mixed-species flocks.
The unified behaviour of bird flocks has puzzled scientists for hundreds of years. One naturalist from the turn of the century even suggested telepathy may be involved. There have since been more logical explanations, including mathematical models that show that repeated interactions among individuals following simple rules can generate coordinated group movements. However, these models usually rely on the assumption that individuals within groups are identical and interact independently, which may not reflect reality.
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Image: Circles indicate paired flight of jackdaws
Credit: Jolle Jolles
Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge
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How birds of different feathers flock together
7 March 2013
When different species of birds flock together, their flight formations are determined by social dynamics both between and within species, say researchers.