[Tweeters] Dunlin Flocking Defense

[Michael Price]

I know this an old thread but it's been nagging me. I remember somewhere in
the mists of the 80s or 90s reading an article on this subject in (I think,
British Birds, but have unable to find a reference), in which the author
distinguishes between what he called 'dreads' and 'panics'. I've had
several seances with madame Google but no luck. But I did hit some paydirt
on New Zealand Birds Online, where there was this, from its entry on
Whiskered Tern:

"At colonies, social flights, called MASS FLIGHTS, DREADS, PANICS, or
UPFLIGHTS, common. In these displays, some or all members of a colony take
flight and fly round in dense flock.
Many authors use the terms interchangeably. Others distinguish between Mass
Flights and Dreads: In Dreads, birds
take off and fly low over colony for some distance without calling, then
fly upwards calling loudly; Dreads an escape
response but may also be used to help synchronize breeding. In Mass
Flights, all birds take off and fly upwards, calling
loudly from outset; Mass Flights most common before laying and are used to
help synchronize breeding cycles of
individuals; resurgence of Mass Flights occurs when chicks being fed,
mostly by non-breeding birds visiting colony,
at least some of which are preparing to breed in the next breeding season
(K. Hulsman, 1977. Emu 77: 49-60). The distinction is often not clear in
published descriptions of flock behavior, etc."

When I entered the search terms, "avian flock defenses against raptorial
attacks", a wealth of rabbit-holes on the subject came up. Have fun.
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