what is function of the clouds of birds?
Answers
A flock is a gathering of a group of same species animals in order to forage or travel with one another.[1] In avians flocks are typically seen in association with migration. While this is true it can also be seen that flocking is important in safety from predation and foraging benefits. Living in a flock can also come at a cost to the birds living within it.[2]
The definition of flock is narrow, only focusing on a single species existing within a flock. However the existence of mixed flocks are also present in the environment and consist of at least two or more species. In avians the species that tend to flock together are typically similar in taxonomy as well as morphological characters such as size and shape.[3] By having a flock with multiple species present, the defence against predation increases. Defence against predators is particularly important in closed habitats such as forests where early warning calls play a vital importance in the early recognition of danger.[4] The result is the formation of many mixed-species feeding flocks.[4]