The Self-Organizing Principles of Flocking

Flocking behavior arises from simple rules followed by individual birds: they stay close to their neighbors, align their direction with nearby flockmates, and avoid collisions. These local interactions enable the entire flock to move cohesively without a leader. Each bird responds to its neighbors' positions and movements, creating a dynamic, self-organizing system. This decentralized process allows the flock to adapt quickly to threats or changes in environment, producing fluid, coordinated motion that appears intelligent but emerges from straightforward individual rules.