Why Dont They Collide

[Bazile]

I was watching a nature programme last night on one of the documentary channels .

They showed a flock of millions of birds, flying in extremely close proximity to each other , often suddenly changing directions

My question is how on earth do they manage not to collide with each other ?

[Tilly2]

They play follow the leader.

[Mamyalynne]

https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/scientists-finally-figure-out-why-birds-dont-crash-into-each-other

[woofgang]

each one watches the bird on either side of it and moves when they do...hence the ripple effect

[Mamyalynne]

https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-why-birds-never-crash-into-each-other-in-midair

[woofgang]

https://www.audubon.org/magazine/march-april-2009/how-flock-birds-can-fly-and-move-together

[Old_Geezer]

They concentrate because they only have third party insurance.

[Chipchopper]

I've often wondered about that to Baz, and also shoals of fish.

[Chipchopper]

Just heard on radio 2, 200 starlings found dead on a road in Anglesea.

[Ken4155]

^
Then you also heard that they are believed to have murmured straight into the tarmac.

[Chipchopper]

Thats right Ken, its thought they may have been trying to avoid a predator

[Chipchopper]

One eye witness claimed he had seen many of the flock, other than those murmuring in the sky, were settled in the road.
Another local said, a lot of the birds had become impaled in the nearby hedgerow.

[bookbinder]

It looks, from this news item, as if they don't always get it right:
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/mystery-dead-starlings-wales-solved-17578398

[woofgang]

its the problem with navigation strategies that rely on doing what those around you do without thought.

[Ken4155]

^
Bit like pushing a supermarket trolley on a Sat morning:-/

[sanmac]

Earlier, Chipchopper mentioned schools of fish. That brought to mind of me scuba-diving off Grand Cayman many years ago and suddenly finding myself being "swarmed" by hundreds of sergeant-major fish flashing and swirling around me. It only lasted for about a minute and suddenly they were gone. It was a dizzying and memorable dive.
https://www.google.com/search?q=sergeant+major+fish&client=firefox-b-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi18OeapovnAhVuB50JHQhACPwQ_AUoAXoECBEQAw&biw=1344&bih=687

[Chipchopper]

There has been a lot of theories about the deaths and injuries of so many birds.
Taking into account of the weather on that night (strong winds and heavy rain), I think the weather may have played a part in it too.