GPS Tracking Provides Answer to Why Birds Fly in a “V” Formation
6 Feb 2014Who knew? New GPS tracking technology helps scientist discover why birds often fly in a “V” formation.
It is no mystery that birds often fly in a V formation when in flocks, and there have been many theories as to why that is. Now, thanks to GPS tracking technology, the answer is no longer simply speculation. The technology has led researchers to the conclusion that they do so on purpose, in order to improve their aerodynamics.
When birds fly in the V formation, they typically beat their wings at precisely the same time. This allows them to take advantage of upwash from the flow of air at the edge of their wings, improving their aerodynamics as they fly.
At Royal Veterinary College, researchers decided to use global positioning system (GPS) technology to track the birds and find out exactly why they were flying in this position specifically.
The birds they followed were a flock of northern bald ibises, which were native to their area. The GPS trackers used were extremely lightweight, and placed gently on the wings of the birds. This recorded their exact movements, including their wing speed, positions, the direction they were heading, and approximately when they flapped their wings.
When looking over the data collected, researchers found that each bird got into the V formation at a 45-degree angle of the bird in front of them, and approximately four feet behind them. The GPS tracking data also showed that by doing this, they caught upwash, also known as rising air, allowing them to use less energy and stay in their position, thanks to aerodynamics.
A total of 14 birds were equipped with GPS trackers, all of which were synchronized to each other exactly. They were made in the Structure and Motion Laboratory, and provided to Royal Veterinary College for this project. The total migratory flight tracked was 43 minutes long, and every wing flap of every bird was recorded consistently. Within a 7-minute segment of their flight, the majority of the flock was in a steady V formation, with each about 45 degrees from the bird in front of it.
Dr. Steven Portugal, the lead researcher of this study, said “Here we have shown that ibis flight in V formation does, on average, match predictions of fixed-wing aerodynamics, although of course the flock structure is highly dynamic.”
Aside from flapping their wings in succession, the birds also had minimal variations in speed, wingtip path and distance, that helped them coordinate their wing strokes while flying. The research found from this study proved a theory that birds fly in this formation in order to get better air and use less of their energy while migrating.
The research found by researchers was published in the journalNature, noting the evidence they received from GPS tracking.
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