Philosophy
As if we aren't concerned about pandemic viruses, errant asteroids, food shortages, terrorists...now we must watch out for mobbing birds. Buy a feeder and stock it good.
Last summer, physicist Suzanne Amador Kane at Haverford College in Pennsylvania set up an experiment looking at how flocks of small birds on her campus -- swallows -- defend themselves from predators by ganging up and forming mobs.
Mobbing is a fascinating phenomenon, says Kane, because by definition mobs have no hierarchical structures -- there is no pecking order, no lead bird flying out in front for the rest to follow. Nevertheless, ecologists in the field have observed some level of organization within bird mobs. When attacking a single predator, mobs of smaller-sized birds will appear to attack in a highly coordinated fashion.
This is exactly what Kane observed. Working with Haverford student Elias Tousley and Owen Glaze, a local high school student, Kane found that the mobbing swallows were quite sophisticated in their attack.
The Question Is How?
To study the coordination between attacking birds, Kane videotaped a scarecrow made by mounting a stuffed red-tailed hawk on a perch atop a pole located in an open field with available tree coverage nearby. It took no coaxing to attract a mob of local swallows -- typical prey for the local red-tailed hawk predator -- to harass the scarecrow. The swallows mobbed the stuffed hawk with such enthusiastic, in fact, that Kane had to break up the sessions for fear that the swallows would neglect their nests for too long.
"What we see is that mobbing is highly periodic," said Kane.
The videos show about a dozen birds mobbing at a time, following a roughly elliptical orbit -- like an exaggerated planet's motion around the sun. Kane's analysis revealed that the birds seemed to have had a preferred attack frequency, and were constantly changing their flight speed and angles in a highly coordinated fashion during the attack. In the videos, there always appears to be one bird swooping in on a closest approach.
"It's likely that they're timing their attacks in such a way so as to avoid capture," said Kane, commenting to a reporter after Tousley presented the work in March at an American Physical Society meeting in Portland, Ore.
The research is relevant to robotics, Kane adds, because this defense mechanism may help engineers design methods for coordinating the motion of swarms of robots.
- Deceased--sheldon Moldoff
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Philosophy
Another peril for mankind?
As if we aren't concerned about pandemic viruses, errant asteroids, food shortages, terrorists...now we must watch out for mobbing birds. Buy a feeder and stock it good.
"Birds Of A Feather Attack Together"
by
Jason Socrates Bardi
May 4th, 2010
physorg.com
by
Jason Socrates Bardi
May 4th, 2010
physorg.com
Last summer, physicist Suzanne Amador Kane at Haverford College in Pennsylvania set up an experiment looking at how flocks of small birds on her campus -- swallows -- defend themselves from predators by ganging up and forming mobs.
Mobbing is a fascinating phenomenon, says Kane, because by definition mobs have no hierarchical structures -- there is no pecking order, no lead bird flying out in front for the rest to follow. Nevertheless, ecologists in the field have observed some level of organization within bird mobs. When attacking a single predator, mobs of smaller-sized birds will appear to attack in a highly coordinated fashion.
This is exactly what Kane observed. Working with Haverford student Elias Tousley and Owen Glaze, a local high school student, Kane found that the mobbing swallows were quite sophisticated in their attack.
The Question Is How?
To study the coordination between attacking birds, Kane videotaped a scarecrow made by mounting a stuffed red-tailed hawk on a perch atop a pole located in an open field with available tree coverage nearby. It took no coaxing to attract a mob of local swallows -- typical prey for the local red-tailed hawk predator -- to harass the scarecrow. The swallows mobbed the stuffed hawk with such enthusiastic, in fact, that Kane had to break up the sessions for fear that the swallows would neglect their nests for too long.
"What we see is that mobbing is highly periodic," said Kane.
The videos show about a dozen birds mobbing at a time, following a roughly elliptical orbit -- like an exaggerated planet's motion around the sun. Kane's analysis revealed that the birds seemed to have had a preferred attack frequency, and were constantly changing their flight speed and angles in a highly coordinated fashion during the attack. In the videos, there always appears to be one bird swooping in on a closest approach.
"It's likely that they're timing their attacks in such a way so as to avoid capture," said Kane, commenting to a reporter after Tousley presented the work in March at an American Physical Society meeting in Portland, Ore.
The research is relevant to robotics, Kane adds, because this defense mechanism may help engineers design methods for coordinating the motion of swarms of robots.
The Birds
1963
Alfred Hitchcock
1963
Alfred Hitchcock
- Deceased--sheldon Moldoff
Sheldon Moldoff April 14th, 1920 to February 29th, 2012 "Sheldon Moldoff, Batman Comic Book Artist, Dies at 91"byDaniel E. SlotnikMarch 8th, 2012The New York TimesSheldon Moldoff, who drew some of the most recognizable superheroes of comic books’ golden...
- Archaeopteryx And Xiaotingia Zhengi Smackdown
Archaeopteryx created a sensation in Victorian England with its bird-like wings but teeth and tail of a dinosaur. Birds of a feather with conflicting conclusions. "'Oldest bird' Archaeopteryx knocked off its perch in controversial new study"...
- Overblown Homage?..."citizen Kane"
I suppose it depends on historical context and personal preference. Yes, it is a good film but I place more emphasis on Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal. "The Mark of Kane" Orson Welles' masterpiece, 70 years on. by Nigel Andrews May 8th, 2011...
- Hand Preference
This cannot be the ultimate reason. "Hand Preference in Humans, Animals Explained" Whether you more frequently use your right hand or your left isn't so much a choice as it is hardwired in your brain. by Jennifer Viegas February 2nd, 2011 Discovery...
- March 20th...vernal Equinox...snow
Where are the $#$$##@# Spring flowers and warmer weather? Last night this Midwestern city was advised of an approaching snow storm. Say what?...it's March 19th. Sure enough. I woke up this morning to dead silence and checked on the status of outdoor...