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60 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, April 24, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 24, 2005 Since You Asked Flocks have herd mentality Why do birds gather together on one power line when nearby lines are empty? I see that at Biddle and McAndrews. — Jean A. Come to find out, Jean, this is a replacement for Medford’s red-light-runner camera system. The birds are trained to spot red-light runners and release a certain organic substance of their own making, having it rain down upon offenders in the busy intersection. Their aim is uncanny! We wish ... what a sight that would be! Seriously, Jean, those are rock pigeons. And they’re always hanging out. Advertisement There are many reasons why birds and other animals herd together. Some birds live in family groups or extended families. Some have complex relationships involving hierarchies. Some find if they flock with birds of another species they get the chance to catch prey flushed by the others. In a classic study, the ecologist W.D. Hamilton developed a model called "the geometry of the selfish herd." It’s safer being in a flock, herd or school than being alone, especially if you’re not on the edge. Flocking is thought to reduce the amount of time each bird watches for predators. In effect there are lookouts manning the perimeter. Four creatures huddled together are each exposed to only one-fourth the danger they’d be if each was alone. Sheep try to butt their way to the inside of the flock if they sense danger. Schools of fish are another example. Tests suggest there are optimum flock sizes for different birds beyond which safety is no longer enhanced. And a group can backfire if it becomes so large it draws attention to itself. The bottom line is, we’re just beginning to understand how complicated birds really are. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Tatoos Advertisement s