Do birds have migration buddies? A new study shows surprising connections between species

At the same time, though, the scientists found that songbirds were much more likely to show up together than they were to show signs of avoidance. In fact, out of all 50 species, the data revealed that only American redstarts and ruby-crowned kinglets appeared to be actively avoiding each other—for unclear reasons.  

This social trend was a bit counterintuitive to the scientists, especially for closely-related species that overlapped in foraging behaviors. “We kind of were expecting to see competition among species that are eating similar foods,” says DeSimone.

Think about it: You have millions of animals weary from nonstop flights that can span thousands of miles. “They arrive in these habitats they’ve never seen before, essentially starving, and have to refuel, and rebuild their organs, rebuild their fat stores, and then continue on,” she says.

It would make sense if one bird looked at another as a competitor. However, the fact that so many species can be seen together, and so reliably, may hint at the beneficial nature of an avian social network.

“They also need to locate food quickly, and so the presence of other birds with similar foraging behavior or similar food preferences may signal to newcomers where the good habitat is,” says DeSimone.