It is an instinctive behaviour that follows simple rules and does not require central coordination, but whose results can be astounding: bird migrations over thousands of miles, for example, or complex structures like termite mounds. The advantages of a flock versus a single animal are that a group of animals is stronger, better protected and can hunt or feed better.
In birds, flocking behaviour can be observed beautifully in flight when often huge flocks of birds cover an area in the sky, flying around apparently without coordination but also without any collisions. Three general rules guide flocking behaviour, and, as tests have shown, not only for animals:
Separation: dont step on your neighbours toes (or claws), avoid crowding;
Alignment: keep in line and steer toward the average direction of the neighbours;
Cohesion: keep the structure and steer toward the average position of the flock neighbours.
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