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The Conversation USA

For birds, flocks promise safety – especially if you’re faster than your neighbor

  • Written by Joan Strassmann, Professor of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis
imageSanderlings run in groups as they hunt for food in the sand on Long Beach Island, N.J.Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography/Moment via Getty Images

As I walked along Bolivar Flats, just across from Galveston Island in Texas, I watched flocks of sanderlings forage along the frothy wavefront as it surged and retreated. Nearby, Caspian terns, Am...

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