How do birds fly together in those large groups that almost look like undulating streams? They all seem to know when to turn at the same time without crashing into each other, like a school of fish.
by 
mousegirl27
ANSWERS: 5
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air currents.
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it's called a flock of birds and they spend hours practising beforehand.
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they learn, just as we learn things...sometimes when you watch them, you will see one that takes the wrong turn...it's funny as they try to catch up..."Hey, guys, wait for me..."
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wow air currents, that's something worth looking into. thing is its like mousegirl27 described: "They all seem to know when to turn at the same time without crashing into each other, like a school of fish" like a school of fish. there doesn't seem to be a leader, leading the pack to follow, they change amongst them, yet they all turn simultaneously, almost instinctively. air currents sounds reasonable, yet they change directions more often than i would guess the current changes. were talking mostly about scouting scenarios not migrating formations. oh and can they actually see that good as to spot worms ? or do you think they spot an area that seems promising and they land to investigate closer
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There are some cool animations out there on the web. The main idea is that every bird has his own rules: the try to keep away from each other and try to go in the same way as the average of the other birds. This is why they look like streams: every particle in a stream tries to stay away from each other, thus making it stream. The only thing streams don't have is the will to get to a point, that's why streams only change direction when it reaches an obstacle.
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