This is bird note.

In winter, many songbirds join flocks made up of multiple species that travel around looking for food, benefiting from safety and numbers.

But a bird flock that doesn't move in the same direction soon scatters to the wind.

So which bird did the others follow?

It turns out that the tufted titmouse, a small gray songbird, is often the one leading the

flock. Researchers studying the flight patterns of mixed species flocks

found that the paths taken by the titmice

best reflected the direction of the group as a whole

compared to other species in the group.

This was especially true when the flock moved quickly between sites,

when staying organized is key.

Titmice are loud and vocal birds, which could make them particularly easy to follow.

Chickadees, which are related to titmice, can play a similar role. Both make alarm calls that

can help warn other birds about predators,

so other species are likely much safer in the flocks that titmice and chickadees help keep organized.

Birds don't only compete with each other.

Just like people, they can be more successful working together.

For Bird Note, I'm Ariana Rommel.