Best of the Week: Starlings

           When Mr. Allen showed us the video of the Starlings, I was truly amazed that birds could fly in the way that they do. These birds have such precision in their movements, it seems like it is planned. I love when nature surprises us with things that are beautiful and unexplainable, such as the Starlings’ synchronized movements.  

          So the question that this phenomenon brings up is: why do Starlings put on this mysterious show when flying in large flocks? Thankfully, we don’t have to rely on our made-up myths to answer this question. It was figured out by European scientists that Starlings use their synchronized routines when they are in danger. The quick and unpredictable movements that the birds make keep each Starling in the flock safe from predators.

          Another puzzling element of the Starlings’ routine is how the birds are able to fly in all directions without ever bumping into one another. The scientific explanation behind this mysterious ability is coordination. It turns out each individual Starling tracks seven others in its flock, which allows each bird in the flock to stay coordinated. 

          Although this is not proven, I believe that Starlings’ flying habits are evidence that Starlings are very socially enabled birds. Although we often only think of humans as being social creatures, I think some, if not most animals are able to communicate about as much as humans do. 

           I have seen my dogs communicate on many occasions. Since there are 3 of them, they act like a lot like a  pack. So, when one starts to bark, the other two will start too. It’s as if one will find the “predator” (be it a mailman or a squirrel) and calls the others for back up. Also, if one of my dogs hears another dog bark in the neighborhood, they will bark at that dog. Even though my dog and the other dog cannot see each other, they are still able to communicate. Although birds may not communicate as obviously as dogs do, it is evident that the have very strong communication abilities, because in order to fly in the way that the Starlings do, communication and exact coordination is necessary.