Why do some birds fly in a V formation?
(WHTM) — In Pennsylvania, you may see many geese throughout the year. During the fall and winter months, you may hear them honking as they fly overhead in a V shape.
But why do geese do that?
According to the Library of Congress, the answer concerns energy conservation and visual assurance.
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When the geese are in a V formation, each bird flies slightly above the bird in front of them, which causes wind resistance to be reduced. As a bird flaps its wings, a vortex of air rolls off its wingtips. The air directly behind the bird gets pushed down, while the air off to the sides of the bird gets pushed upwards.
If another bird flies in line with these updraft vortices, it can get free lift, which helps reduce the energy needed to fly.
Each goose takes turns being in the front, and once they get tired they fall back and another bird takes their position in the front.
Why are geese so aggressive and mean?
The second reason as to why birds do this has to do with sight. Flying in a V makes it easier to track every bird that is in the group, and may help with communication with other birds.
Geese are not the only birds that fly in this formation. Some other birds include ducks and swans.
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