The V Formation

This phenomenal occurrence that happens above us has a pretty neat reasoning. Basically, canada geese and other migratory birds fly in this V formation to conserve energy. They take turns flying in the front, falling to the back when they get tired. Each bird in the formation receives a boost of air from a vortex that rolls off of the wings of the bird in front of them. This causes them to use less power and essentially rest while still flying. 

The air that the geese receive comes from the tips of the wings of the goose in front of them. This is why the two geese behind the leader fly on the right or left of the first goose, forming the start of the V. The next two geese then have to choose to fly on the outside wing, expanding the V even further. The reason they have to choose the outside, is because the air that is flowing directly behind the leader is not a vortex shooting upwards. This flow would push the geese behind it downwards and out of formation.

While Canada geese are in the sky, you might hear them honking. This is how they communicate with one another and it is important for them to act together when flying in the V formation. Canada geese show a lot of teamwork while in the sky and if any of the flock are injured and need to land, a couple of team members will follow. We can learn alot from nature and apply it to our lives, and today we learned to work together as a team and to work “smarter not harder”.