Researchers used a computer
simulation to create a swirling mass of starlings
A human was asked to pick out one
of the birds - as a predator would do
The task becomes exceptionally
difficult and is known as the confusion effect
Other possible benefits of the
large flock are that more birds can be on the lookout for predators at any one
time
Published: 17:35, 17 January 2017
| Updated: 00:01, 18 January 2017
Birds of a feather flock
together, as anyone who has seen a dazzling gathering of starlings in the sky
will know.
But why the birds congregate in
vast numbers – called murmurations – has been one of nature's mysteries.
Now scientists have shown that
the hypnotic, aerobatic displays confuse any would be predators such as hawks.
Birds of a feather flock
together, as anyone who has seen a dazzling gathering of starlings in the sky
will know
Scientists have shown that the
hypnotic, aerobatic displays confuse any would be predators such as
hawks.
Other possible benefits of the
large flock are that more birds can be on the lookout for predators at any one
time.
It is also possible that as
'news' of a predator is passed through the group from bird to bird, it leads to
the flock taking evasive action.
To test their theory, scientists
from the Universities of Bristol and Groningen, in the Netherlands, used a
computer simulation creating a swirling mass of starlings.
The predator in the simulation
has to select an individual starling to attack – and in the case of the
computer simulation a human was asked to attempt to pick out one of the birds.
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