A phenomenological model for the collective landing of bird flocks

István Daruka

Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Geneva24, quai Ernest Ansermet, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland

Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös UniversityPázmány P. stny. 1A, 1117 Budapest, Hungary

[email protected]

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István Daruka

Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Geneva24, quai Ernest Ansermet, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland

Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös UniversityPázmány P. stny. 1A, 1117 Budapest, Hungary

[email protected]

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Published:25 November 2008https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.1444

Abstract

A three-dimensional phenomenological model was developed to describe the collective landing of bird flocks. The employed individual based model included the landscape (as an external field) and a continuous internal variable G, to characterize the landing intent of the birds. The birds' interaction with the landscape was coupled adaptively to their landing intent. During the flight, a sharp crossover is observed in the dynamics of the landing intent, i.e. from the initial, non-landing state (small G) to the landing state (large G) that was terminated by the landing of the flock. In the model, the landing process appears to be a highly concerted, collective motion of the birds, in agreement with the field observations.

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This Issue

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences cover image

07 March 2009

Volume 276Issue 1658

Article Information

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.1444
PubMed:19033143
Published by:Royal Society
Print ISSN:0962-8452
Online ISSN:1471-2954

History:

Manuscript received06/10/2008
Manuscript accepted03/11/2008
Published online25/11/2008
Published in print07/03/2009

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