title: Temporal and contextual consistency of leadership in homing pigeon flocks.
abstract: Organized flight of homing pigeons (Columba livia) was previously shown to rely on simple leadership rules between flock mates, yet the stability of this social structuring over time and across different contexts remains unclear. We quantified the repeatability of leadership-based flock structures within a flight and across multiple flights conducted with the same animals. We compared two contexts of flock composition: flocks of birds of the same age and flight experience; and, flocks of birds of different ages and flight experience. All flocks displayed consistent leadership-based structures over time, showing that individuals have stable roles in the navigational decisions of the flock. However, flocks of balanced age and flight experience exhibited reduced leadership stability, indicating that these factors promote flock structuring. Our study empirically demonstrates that leadership and followership are consistent behaviours in homing pigeon flocks, but such consistency is affected by the heterogeneity of individual flight experiences and/or age. Similar evidence from other species suggests leadership as an important mechanism for coordinated motion in small groups of animals with strong social bonds.
authors: Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, Radolfzell, Germany; Departamento de Biologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Campus do Bacanga, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil; Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal.
authors: Carlos D
authors: CD
authors: Santos
authors: Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
authors: Stefanie
authors: S
authors: Neupert
authors: Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland; School of Laboratory Medicine, Kwazulu-Natal University, Durban, South Africa.
authors: Hans-Peter
authors: HP
authors: Lipp
authors: Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Wikelski
authors: Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
authors: Dina K N
authors: DK
authors: Dechmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D010856:Columbidae / Q000502:physiology*; D005426:Flight, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D006608:Hierarchy, Social; D006702:Homing Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D012930:Social Dominance; D013997:Time Factors