JUNE 4,
2019
by
University of New Orleans
Wildlife
researchers have long tried to understand why birds fly in flocks and how
different types of flocks work. A new study from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill explores the mechanics and benefits of the underlying
flock structure used by four types of shorebirds. Understanding more about how
these birds flock moves researchers a step closer to understanding why they
flock.
The
study, led by Aaron Corcoran, a postdoctoral researcher studying bat and bird flight and ecology, and
biology Professor Tyson Hedrick of UNC-Chapel Hill, appears in the June 4 issue
of eLife.
In the
study, the researchers focused on four types of shorebirds that vary in size:
dunlin, short-billed dowitcher, American avocet and marbled godwit. Corcoran
and Hedrick filmed and analyzed almost 100 hours of video footage to better
understand the mechanics of shorebird flocks. They found that the birds fly in
a newly defined shape the team named a compound V-formation, which they believe
provides an aerodynamic advantage and predator protection.
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