Insights into Understanding Collective Flight
and Feeding Behavior of Black Birds in Winter
Abstract: While flying to feeding grounds and when engaged in maneuvers related to selecting sites for feeding, flocking blackbirds utilize certain aspects of pre-adaptive behavior, and apply certain principals of probability theory in order to maximize the chances of a successful feed.
Observations
With first light groups of blackbirds emerge from the cover of large leafed evergreen trees and fly to resting places on wires or barren trees to warm their feathers in the morning sun. A small time later, after other birds who have nested elsewhere join up with them, they lope off, flying towards the morning sun.
Sometimes it takes a while to catch up with them and usually they are on the ground feeding when the observer (me) locates the feeding flock.
Edit: (to be concluded this week.)
Last edited by themilum; 04/16/06 10:56 PM.
