A Murmuration

[Sdiver]

This is a pretty cool video.

http://www.grist.org/list/2011-11-11...ds-are-amazing

[LongWire]

Yeah I saw that one a couple of weeks ago. Mother Nature always seems to mystify and entertain. Pretty Cool.

[Susa]

That is very cool.

[Dozer523]

They smile only cuz they never saw the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds . If they had, they'd be paddling like mad.

[TOMAHAWK9521]

You can see similar bird activities in northern Colorado as well. Albeit not nearly the scale of what was on the video. Still pretty cool.

[Requiem]

Really neat. I saw this same video on The Daily Telegraph, with an explanation of mumuration by Daniel Butler:

A “murmuration” of starlings, as this phenomenon is known, must be one of the most magical, yet underrated, wildlife spectacles on display in winter. Impenetrable as the flock’s movements might seem to the human eye, the underlying maths is comparatively straightforward. Each bird strives to fly as close to its neighbours as possible, instantly copying any changes in speed or direction. As a result, tiny deviations by one bird are magnified and distorted by those surrounding it, creating rippling, swirling patterns. In other words, this is a classic case of mathematical chaos (larger shapes composed of infinitely varied smaller patterns).

Apparently, it's a survival technique. The birds on the outside edges of the formation are more likely to get picked off by predators.

I wonder if there's a dimwit or two in the flock that cause mid-air collisions?

Susan

[Penn]

Apparently, it's a survival technique. The birds on the outside edges of the formation are more likely to get picked off by predators.

Yes, I was thinking how it resembled bait fish forming bait balls for the same reason. The girls did well to capture it, Very cool!

[greenberetTFS]

Originally Posted by Dozer523

They smile only cuz they never saw the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds . If they had, they'd be paddling like mad.

My wife won't watch the movie,she says it still frightens her..........

Big Teddy

[AngelsSix]

Originally Posted by Requiem

Really neat. I saw this same video on The Daily Telegraph, with an explanation of mumuration by Daniel Butler:



Apparently, it's a survival technique. The birds on the outside edges of the formation are more likely to get picked off by predators.

I wonder if there's a dimwit or two in the flock that cause mid-air collisions?

Susan

That would make it all the more amusing ....but at the rate they are moving, we'd never notice it unless we slowed the video down and watched in frame by frame....

[GratefulCitizen]

A “murmuration” of starlings, as this phenomenon is known, must be one of the most magical, yet underrated, wildlife spectacles on display in winter. Impenetrable as the flock’s movements might seem to the human eye, the underlying maths is comparatively straightforward. Each bird strives to fly as close to its neighbours as possible, instantly copying any changes in speed or direction. As a result, tiny deviations by one bird are magnified and distorted by those surrounding it, creating rippling, swirling patterns. In other words, this is a classic case of mathematical chaos (larger shapes composed of infinitely varied smaller patterns).

A few simple rules can have interesting effects.
http://www.math.com/students/wonders/life/life.html

Hit the "play life" button.
Set the zoom to "1", draw a squiggle with the mouse and press "go".

[CPTAUSRET]

Originally Posted by Requiem

Really neat. I saw this same video on The Daily Telegraph, with an explanation of mumuration by Daniel Butler:



Apparently, it's a survival technique. The birds on the outside edges of the formation are more likely to get picked off by predators.

I wonder if there's a dimwit or two in the flock that cause mid-air collisions?

Susan

Looks to my uneducated brain like as a good example of a "Self Organizing System", as described by James Gleick, in his book CHAOS. He was describing what he termed "Chaos Theory"...A good read, by the way.