This is why birds fly in a V
Humans could learn a thing or two from our feathered friends
Why do migratory birds like ducks and geese fly in the shape of a V? Why not an I? Or how about an amoeba-esque cluster like humans do in tour groups?
It's an interesting phenomenon. And understanding it could help us out with things like designing more efficient aircraft.
Previous studies have concluded that the V may have something to do with the flock's visual axes. As Scientific American suggested in 2007, the V may help them eliminate blind spots and "maintain optimal visual positioning." Nobody wants to slam into a 747.
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But a new study, published in this week's Nature, appears to have discovered another, previously unrecognized reason birds instinctively arrange themselves in a V formation. And it has to do with aerodynamics and energy conservation.
For their research, scientists equipped a flock of ibises with lightweight GPS units in an attempt to discern the advantages of a V formation. Here's what they discovered:
Birds truly are the wind beneath one another's wings.
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