Data from: Misinformed leaders lose influence over pigeon flocks

In animal groups where certain individuals have disproportionate influence
over collective decisions, the whole group's performance may suffer
if these individuals possess inaccurate information. Whether in such
situations leaders can be replaced in their roles by better-informed group
mates represents an important question in understanding the adaptive
consequences of collective decision-making. Here, we use a clock-shifting
procedure to predictably manipulate the directional error in navigational
information possessed by established leaders within hierarchically
structured flocks of homing pigeons (Columba livia). We demonstrate that
in the majority of cases when leaders hold inaccurate information they
lose their influence over the flock. In these cases, inaccurate
information is filtered out through the rearrangement of hierarchical
positions, preventing errors by former leaders from propagating down the
hierarchy. Our study demonstrates that flexible decision-making structures
can be valuable in situations where ‘bad’ information is introduced by
otherwise influential individuals.