Flying in a group in cluster formation, typical in pigeons (Columba livia), requires more energy. This is demonstrated by a British research that attributes this behavior to defensive and group strategies. ? Birds that fly in “normal” flocks, unlike V-shaped groups, flap at a higher rate and this causes them to suffer from energy disadvantages ,? Jim Usherwood, lead author of the study and researcher inThe Royal Veterinary Collegefrom the University of London (UK).
Most moving birdsas a group they follow a cluster-shaped (or normal) structure. This is the case of the red-billed weaver, the starling, the gull, the blackbird, the common runner or the dove. However, a study published inNature reveals that when pigeons follow this behavior, they trace curves, which requires them toquadruple your effort. Conversely,birds like the pelican, with a V-shaped organization, have a lower flutter and heart rate than the others. “Flying in a V allows you to take advantage of wind zones that help support the weight of the birds,” says Usherwood.
Energy savings by following this structure “are between 10% and 70%”, indicates Geoffrey Spedding, another of the authors of the work and researcher at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles (USA). “The V-formation is good for coordinating direction,” adds Spedding.
The experts analyzeddata from GPS sensors implanted in 18 pigeonsin a nine-hour flight period, for a total of243,000 wingbeats in seven runs. When flying close by, the pigeons had to flap faster, especially when they were behind another bird. Despite the energy cost involved, birds fly this way for survival reasons. “It’s probably a way to defend against predators – when a hawk flies over them, the group becomes more concentrated,” Usherwood says.
Another reason could answer questions of companionship. “Every bird wants to fly together: not too far, not too close and at the same speed“Spedding maintains.
