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Dryad

Pigeons use tree structures as the leadership structure for flocking

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Apr 10, 2024 version files 686.70 KB

Abstract

Collective behaviors leading to various fascinating movement patterns are believed to be the product of complex interplay among individuals. Previous studies have identified two types of leadership structures in pigeon flocks, i.e., hierarchical networks and reciprocal relationships. However, both of these leadership structures are predicated based on data analysis and lack substantial empirical evidence. Additionally, it is difficult to delineate a direct correspondence between leadership structures and trajectory data for pigeon flocks because birds cannot report their leadership structure. Herein, we demonstrated that pigeons adopt leadership relationships that can be characterized as tree structures. In a tree structure, each follower follows its only leader during collective flights, and the single top leader determines the entire flock's flight direction. In the present study, we performed experiments using student volunteers who could report leadership relationships. We identified a one-to-one correspondence between leadership structures and data characteristics and proposed a method for determining the leadership structure based on trajectory data. This strategy was used to analyze flight trajectory data from a pigeon flock and elucidate the pigeons' leadership relationships. The developed approach could effectively model the collective behavior of pigeon flocks, thus accurately replicating findings from previous experimental studies. The results of this study provide insights regarding the leadership structure in pigeon flocks and have implications for artificial collective systems, e.g., autonomous formation control of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles or unmanned surface vehicles.