h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was looking for the ask h2g2 a question link, but I couldn't find it? So, who ever has nicked it, could you please return ASAP as I wanted to ask a question.

Now, where was I, you see I'm all confused already?

Ah! Yes, I remember now,.........I was out in the back garden, in between showers if rain, well it is summer here in Scotland, and the birds all singing away, all their own little voices tweaking away.

Then suddenly, they all stopped, exactly at the same time! How do they do that? There I was surrounded by birds in all directions, yet they all stopped together, how do they know when to stop?

Another thing, I've noticed that in the evening, just as it's starting to get dark! all the birds join in one large massive flock, which always turns in direction exactly at the same time!

How do they do that? It's not that they all follow one leading bird, as they all turn exactly together, how do they manage that?

Smudger.

Traveller in Time with a link
"You were searching for < F19585?thread="smiley - biggrin" title="biggrin" class="smiley" src="http://www.h2g2.com/h2g2/skins/Alabaster/images/Smilies/f_biggrin.gif"/>"

Traveller in Time about the birds
"Birds stop chatting when one gives an alarm chirp. It is most often indeed a single alarming voice causing a silence ( was that me here?)

The flock of birds does not move 'at once' it is just they all keep an eye on their close neighbours. Combined with a high speed reflex not to collide in mid air they seem to turn all at once. "