Propagating waves in starling, Sturnus vulgaris, flocks under predation
Propagating waves in starling, Sturnus vulgaris, flocks under predation
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DOI：
10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.07.006
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发表时间：
2011-10-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.5
通讯作者：
Carere, Claudio
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Procaccini, Andrea;Orlandi, Alberto;Carere, Claudio
波的形成是昆虫、鸟类、鱼类和哺乳动物发生集体行为的生动例子，这被解释为反捕食者反应。在鸟类中，这一现象涉及成千上万的个体，缺乏定量表征，其与捕食的联系仍然难以捉摸。我们研究了波在成群的椋鸟，一个高度群居的物种，通过直接观察和定量的计算机视觉分析的高清视频记录，根据捕食游隼，隼peregrinus。我们发现，波起源于攻击捕食者的位置，并总是远离它传播。我们测量了它们的频率和速度，后者往往大于群体的速度。波的形成和减少捕食成功之间存在高度正相关。我们认为，猎物逃跑的倾向，即使是由一个有凝聚力的群体中的几个人发起时，也会激发自组织密度波。这种明显的鸟群局部结构的波动，能有效地迷惑掠食者。(C)2011年，动物行为研究协会。由爱思唯尔有限公司出版。保留所有权利。
The formation of waves is a vivid example of collective behaviour occurring in insects, birds, fish and mammals, which has been interpreted as an antipredator response. In birds a quantitative characterization of this phenomenon, involving thousands of individuals, is missing and its link with predation remains elusive. We studied waves in flocks of starlings, a highly gregarious species, by both direct observation and quantitative computer vision analysis of HD video recordings, under predation by peregrine falcons, Falco peregrinus. We found that waves originated from the position of the attacking predator and always propagated away from it. We measured their frequency and velocities, the latter often being larger than the velocity of the flock. A high positive correlation was found between the formation of waves and reduced predation success. We suggest that the tendency of a prey to escape, when initiated even by a few individuals in a cohesive group, elicits self-organized density waves. Such evident fluctuations in the local structure of the flocks are efficient in confusing predators. (C) 2011 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.