Abstract:
The benefits of mixed-species flocking, whether reduced
predation risk or increased foraging efficiency, are often
analysed as they apply to the flock as a whole (Morse
1977, Terborgh 1990). Different species, however, may
benefit from flocking in different ways (Hino 1998).
Furthermore, species differ in the benefits they provide
to others, with some ‘nuclear’ species being particularly
important to flock formation and cohesion (Moynihan
1962, Hutto 1994). A full description of a mixed-flock
system would therefore depict the flow of different benefits
among a web of species.
