As every year, billions of birds all over the world migrate to their winter quarters this autumn. They often travel thousands of kilometers in huge swarms without getting in each other’s way. Why don’t the birds actually collide?
Birds move to their winter quarters in flocks.
When it slowly gets colder in Germany and food becomes increasingly difficult to find, many birds make their way south. There they spend the winter in warmer climes and only come back north to breed in spring.
The migratory birds’ journey takes place every year, but this year some species were particularly early.
For nature lovers, the start of bird migration is always a spectacle. The large swarms of starlings in particular, which move at breakneck speed through the air like a living organism, are a spectacular event.
But why don’t the birds collide during their maneuvers?
Migratory birds have perfect eyesight.
The starlings travel thousands of kilometers year after year and usually arrive safely at their destination. The fact that they do not collide closely packed in a flock is actually straightforward to explain: The birds have such good eyes that they can react extremely quickly as soon as their neighbor comes too close, explains ornithologist Peter Berthold to the ” FAZ. ”
Photo: pixabay.com/Unachicalinda
During the flight, the birds concentrate only on those of their own species flying directly around them – if one of the birds changes direction, the next man reacts immediately, and the other animals follow. However, it would sometimes happen that the birds touch each other slightly during flight. However, injuries do not usually result in these collisions.
Read More: Is your dog sad? How you can recognize it – and help
Read More: Doberman Puppy turns out to be a pinscher months later.