Expert: Roger Lederer - 10/15/2006

Question
why do birds, when they are in flight, make quick changes in directions time after time.  It seems almost, like they are playing and following the leader.  Is it because of the wind patterns and they need to go with the flow?  
It appears that sometimes they just go back and forth in their flocks.
Thank you for your time

Answer
Bird flocks do not have a leader and their movement usually has nothing to do with the wind unless the wind is very strong. One or two birds in a flock turn in a certain direction and other birds, to avoid hitting them, turn as well. So basically all the birds in the flock have the potential to turn the flock. This results in coordinated movements but in random directions. However, all the birds in the flock are moving in a certain direction (for food migration, roosting or whatever they are going to do) and eventually end up in the right place, although perhaps not very efficiently. Roger Lederer at OrRnithology.com