Scientists from the Universities of Bristol and Groningen, in The Netherlands, have created a computer game style experiment which sheds new light on the reasons why starlings flock in massive swirling groups over wintering grounds.
A mumeration can hold many thousands of starlings but the reasons why they put on these amazing displays are not well understood.
Scientists from the Universities of Bristol and Groningen, in The Netherlands, have created a computer game style experiment which sheds new light on the reasons why starlings flock in massive swirling groups over wintering grounds.
A mumeration can hold many thousands of starlings but the reasons why they put on these amazing displays are not well understood.
However, scientists have observed that flocks of starlings are larger, and more densely packed in areas with more predators, such as hawks, and that attacks by such predators are less likely to succeed against larger groups of starlings. This has led researchers to suggest that one function of these flocks may be avoiding predation.
There are many ways in which forming groups can reduce predation. One idea is that in larger groups, more birds can be on the look-out for predators at any one time, and there is even evidence that larger groups can allow for faster transfer of information. For example, if one bird sees a predator it might turn to escape, causing other birds to turn, even if they have not seen the predator themselves.
Continue reading at University of Bristol.
Photo via University of Bristol.
