A song of ascents. Of David. How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. Psalm 133:1-3 NIV
There are different theories as to why some birds fly in unison – holding tight formations – moving as a single, synchronized unit. If you’ve ever seen this behavior, it can be rather spectacular to watch. Birds flying in these tight groups can turn sharply, more than 1800, almost instantaneously.
One particular species, sandpipers, are capable of flying at speeds of 50 miles per hour. I doubt my brain, along with the rest of my body, could take traveling that fast, and then abruptly turning 900 or 1800 degrees!
Some think that birds which fly in this type of synchronized formation help individual members to avoid predators. The flock can appear as one big unit, rather than a lot of individuals flying independently of each other. Flying in tight formations may help the birds detect a predator, since there are far more eyes on the lookout than would be the case with a single bird. And once one bird sees some food, others get the chance to feed as well.
There are also a few theories as to how all of the birds, in unison, change directions so quickly. Some think they are watching a “lead” bird which indicates which way to turn. Others believe their unified actions are far too quick to be reactions to a single leader. They state that a bird’s reaction time is not adequate to account for this type of rapid, synchronized flying. They theorize that once a change in direction begins in front of the flock, the rest of the birds actually anticipate what to do before the time comes for them to alter their direction.
The above Scripture speaks of how good it is when God’s people get along in unity. God even tells us that when this happens, He bestows His blessings upon the people. Even life everlasting.
The ability to create something amazingly intricate and precise among individual birds flying at high speeds is astonishing to me. If you’ve never asked this Creator of all things to be your Savior and Lord so you can live the life you were created for, please see Got God?
Hope you have a great day.