Hierarchical group dynamics in pigeon flocks

Máté Nagy, Zsuzsa Ákos, Dora Biro and Tamás Vicsek ()
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Máté Nagy: Eötvös University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1A, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
Zsuzsa Ákos: Eötvös University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1A, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
Dora Biro: University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
Tamás Vicsek: Eötvös University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1A, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary

Nature, 2010, vol. 464, issue 7290, 890-893

Abstract: An airborne pecking order Birds of a feather proverbially flock together, but just how large groups of animals move in a coordinated way has defied complete explanation. Do they follow a leader, or does pattern emerge from a set of simple behavioural rules? Until now the question has been addressed largely with numerical modelling, but with the availability of miniature 'backpack-style' GPS loggers weighing just 16 grams, it is now possible to track each bird in a flock and test the models against direct measurement. Experiments using flocks of up to 10 homing pigeons reveal that a bird's position in the flight depends on its place in a well-defined social hierarchy — an airborne 'pecking order'. Intriguingly, birds respond more quickly to a flock-mate seen primarily with the left eye, adding to evidence that they have specific roles dependent on their position in the flock.

Date: 2010
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08891

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