That's a LOT of birds!: Off-topic discussion forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Nov. 12, 2011 7:54 a.m. 914Driver SuperDork

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/45225395#45225395
Nov. 12, 2011 9:15 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

I think hitchcock saw that once...

I have seen smaller versions.. especially in late summer/early fall as the sparrows get ready to head south, they flock up like that and go to town on the local bug population
Nov. 12, 2011 11:38 a.m. SVreX SuperDork

Being on a primary migratory path, I see that many and even many more every year. I've seen the entire sky black wiht birds.

But I have never seen them fly in patterns like that.
Nov. 12, 2011 12:10 p.m. Sky_Render Reader

Well, at least they weren't angry
Nov. 12, 2011 12:54 p.m. JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director

The Blue Angels have nothing on those guys. I'd love to compare those flock patterns with the movements of basic multi-celled life forms. Or even schools of fish, or swarms of ants. I wonder what sort of collective intelligence is at work guiding them as a group.

Serioulsy. Line up 15 hillbillies and they can't even line dance in step with each other. The birds and the fish know a thing or two about teamwork.

jg
Nov. 12, 2011 1:45 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

If you have ever dealt with a Koi pond, you will know that fish brush up against each other all the time (and your fingers) I don't think Birds touch though.. that sounds like a recipe for falling out of the sky
Nov. 12, 2011 1:55 p.m. bluej Dork

JG Pasterjak wrote:

The Blue Angels have nothing on those guys. I'd love to compare those flock patterns with the movements of basic multi-celled life forms. Or even schools of fish, or swarms of ants. I wonder what sort of collective intelligence is at work guiding them as a group.

Serioulsy. Line up 15 hillbillies and they can't even line dance in step with each other. The birds and the fish know a thing or two about teamwork.

jg

probably has more to do with chaos theory than a collective intelligence. more re-active than active i guess is what i'm trying to say.

the birds are also called starlings and what they're doing is called a murmuration. I love each of those words for the birds and their aerial acrobatics.
Nov. 12, 2011 2:12 p.m. Lesley SuperDork

I saw the same thing on a smaller scale while down in Niagara a couple of weeks ago. I pulled over to watch – was quite surprised to see that they were starlings, which aren't exactly my favourite bird. Glad to see them take up pursuits other than flying down my chimney and E36 M3ting all over my attic windows.
Nov. 12, 2011 6:05 p.m. Curmudgeon SuperDork

Wow. I've seen similar on a much smaller scale too but that was just amazing.
Nov. 12, 2011 10:04 p.m. HappyAndy HalfDork

Looks like the "Smoke Monster" from lost.
Nov. 13, 2011 6:52 a.m. jimbob_racing Dork

Imagine the potential to be pooped on under that flock.
Nov. 13, 2011 8:31 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

probably not too great. Most birds poop when they first take off.. yes, they do go in mid-flight.. but to a lessor extent.

Now the area where that flock took off from...