A new study published in the journal Nature Physics has revealed that even when populations of birds have different abilities and characteristics, they still exhibit the same flocking behavior. The research team, led by Professor Roberto Di Candia from the University of Rome, observed flocks of starlings and found that the birds with different sizes, colors and flying abilities still moved together in the same manner. This suggests that even when a flock is made up of heterogeneous bird populations, they still display the same collective motion.

The research team used advanced computer simulations to study the flocking behavior of starlings and found that the birds were able to move together in a coordinated way, even when their individual characteristics were different. The simulations showed that the birds with different abilities still followed the same basic rules of flocking, such as maintaining a certain distance from each other and moving in the same direction as the flock. This suggests that even when a flock is made up of heterogeneous bird populations, they still display the same collective motion.

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source: Phys.org