The unified(群集) behaviour of bird flocks has puzzled scientists for hundreds of years. One naturalist from the turn of the century even suggested telepathy(心灵感应) may be involved. There have since been more logical explanations, including mathematical models that show that repeated interactions among individuals following simple rules can generate coordinated(协同的) group movements. However, these models usually rely on the assumption that individuals within groups are identical and interact independently, which may not reflect reality.

　　Jolle Jolles, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology and author of the paper, said：“Spectacular collective behaviour can be found in a large range of animal species, and we now know that often these complex coordinated group movements may be the result of individuals following simple rules. However, rarely are the individual characteristics and social relationships within them taken into account. Our research highlights that these striking displays of group behaviour are much more complex.”

　　By analysing high­resolution photographs of mixed flocks of rooks and jackdaws(both from the corvid family), the researchers found that rather than individuals interacting in a consistent fashion throughout the flock, interactions depended on social dynamics between the different species as well as relationships within a species.

　　The researchers discovered that birds prefer to fly close to members of their own species, and that the larger and more dominant rooks take the lead by flying near the front of flocks. Additionally, the lifelong, monogamous(一妻一夫制的) pair bonds that are characteristic of both species seem to be reflected in flight, as birds often fly particularly close to a single, same species partner.

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