Experiment Analysis of Separation in Circling Pigeon Flocks

Pigeons are often observed flying in a circular motion around their loft. Pigeons sometimes experience separation from a larger group and fly in a different direction from the other pigeons. Based on the high-frequency data collected by GPS devices, the study uncovers the pattern of the separation behavior of circling pigeons. The findings reveal that during the separation process, the individual pigeon departs from the group with a velocity deviation that is nearly perpendicular to the group average velocity. The finding suggests that during the separation process of the flock, the separated pigeon mainly separates from the flock in a velocity perpendicular to the velocity of the flock, instead of separating from the flock in random directions.