Geese often fly in a V shape to save energy during very long journeys.

The longer version

Each wingtip sheds a rotating swirl of air, and just behind and outside that swirl is a region of rising air. A goose sitting there gets a small amount of free lift, so it needs less power to hold height. The whole formation is a chain of birds taking advantage of the upwash from the one ahead.

Positions rotate, because the lead bird gets no help and works hardest in the worst air. Birds time their wingbeats to the air they are moving through instead of flapping at random. Instrumented birds show lower heart rates in formation than alone, and the saving grows with distance flown.

Where this entry sits

Here you will find feathered trivia about flight, migration, nests, eggs, and the songs birds sing. Expect short surprising facts on penguins, owls, hummingbirds, and other familiar birds from gardens, forests, wetlands, and distant coastlines. The full list sits on the Birds page, where every entry is listed in order.