why do birds fly in circles in a group?
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Why do flocks of birds fly in a circle over the same place over and over again? The behavior you speak of is due to an effect called thermals. ... Social birds that fly in large flocks also use thermals to gain altitude and extend their range during migration.
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Little birds are too little to worry about us, because we don't seem close enough to their size to be their predators. Walk too close, and they'll fly away. Larger birds generally don't have many predators, and humans are the only thing that approaches them.
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When birds fly in a 'v' formation, one side is always longer. After millions of dollars and thousands of hours spent researching this phenomena, scientists believe they now know why. It's because one side has more birds than the other.
684250
Soaring birds take advantage of thermals and updrafts by flying in a circle. The rising air carries them higher and higher in a spiral. ... Soaring birds that wish to stay aloft without flapping in normal wind usually fly INTO the wind for lift. But that same wind that holds them up slows their forward movements.
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Ravens often travel in pairs, while crows are seen in larger groups. Also, watch the bird's tail as it flies overhead. The crow's tail feathers are basically the same length, so when the bird spreads its tail, it opens like a fan.
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A new study of ibises finds that these big-winged birds carefully position their wingtips and sync their flapping, presumably to catch the preceding bird's updraft—and save energy during flight. ... Squadrons of planes can save fuel by flying in a V formation, and many scientists suspect that migrating birds do the same.
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Pekin ducks, for the most part, are too heavy to get airborne. However, individual ducks may be lighter and capable of short flight, so clipping their flight feathers or (pinioning) their wings will ensure that they will not be able to fly away. They are gregarious and will usually group together.
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Birds generate lift through the motion of their wings (they are also fairly light for their volume, which helps a lot). Fish (most of them, anyhow) have a gas bladder that controls their buoyancy.
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The bodies of birds are adapted for flying. ... The long flight feathers on the wings and tail help birds balance and steer. In addition, birds have a system of air sacs in their body that connect to the lungs. The air sacs enable birds to extract much more oxygen from each breath of air than other animals can.
1250819
It is for reducing the air drag/resistance that would be imparted on the birds had they been flying in a straight line. Often their migration journey is very long spanning months and continents and hence it is important that they reach their destination safely.
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His work showed that bird in flocks don't just follow a leader, or their neighbors. Instead, they anticipate sudden changes in the flock's direction of motion. And he said, once a change in direction begins in the flock, it then “spreads through the flock in a wave.”
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They will commonly fly in V-formation, but unlike geese, they regularly stop to hover in mid-air before reassembling and flying on (this looks quite funny). At great distances, this can be useful for telling them apart from geese.
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Skimming permits the birds to take advantage of an aerodynamic phenomenon known as "ground effect." The patterns of airflow around a wing that is operating close to a surface are modified by that surface in a manner that reduces drag, the resistance of the air to the progress of the wing.
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Generally, low-flying birds are signs of rain; high flyers indicate fair weather. ... Birds tend to stop flying and take refuge at the coast if a storm is coming. They'll also fly low to avoid the discomfort of the falling air pressure. When seagulls fly inland, expect a storm.
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Tank fish tend to chase each other for 4 main reasons: ... It's the first thing that comes to mind when we see a pair of fish swimming fast, one after the other. When there are males and females together in the tank, this behaviour is likely to be a simple coupling ritual. No reason to panic!
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A bird has wings which helps it to fly. Bird's wings have feathers and strong muscles attached to them. With the help of their strong arm and chest muscles, birds flap their wings and fly. The bodies of birds are very light which help them to fly easily.
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Sharing a common goal: As each goose flaps its wings it creates “uplift”, an aerodynamics orientation that reduces air friction, for the birds that follow. By flying in a V-formation, the whole flock achieves a 70% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.