Inquiry Journal
Migration and Aerodynamics behind the V-formation.
We are soon heading towards the
winter time and the birds have already started their journey to the warmer
places. It’s been almost ten years for me watching birds migrating in and out
of the states. As the falls rolls the geese small flocks joins the larger
flocks and the migration starts. Morning congregation noise ensues, there is a take-off,
and a near constant honking as they begin their journey southward. (Janowiak
Kirk, 2014 Quora). I always wonder about how these birds can fly long distances
during their migration. Whenever I see a flock of geese honking in the morning
or evening, I cannot stop myself looking at them. I observed that geese always
worked in team, no goose fly alone, they are always migrating in a group. This
made me ask myself a question, and made me put this inquiry in my inquiry
journal for the week.
“Where are the geese flying to or migrating to? What
makes it easy for them to fly long distances? What is so special about the
V-Formation in the sky during their flight?”
When I decided to think on my inquiry question, I started
looking for the information about the geese migration in Ohio. I found out that
there are different types of geese. The geese that migrate includes the snow
geese and the Canadian geese.
Canada Geese
are known for their seasonal migrations. Each fall hundreds of thousands
of Canada
geese pass through
Ohio in their famous v-formations, honking up a storm. Peak migrations happen
in Ohio between October and November. Flocks of geese fly in a v-shaped group
and some will travel non-stop for up to 16 hours to cover over 800 miles.
Flocks will also make shorter flights depending on wind patterns and where food
is available. During migration, geese can travel as fast as 70 miles per hour
with a good tail wind at an altitude of up to 9,000 feet. Geese, like most of
our migratory birds, will also migrate during the night.
Canada Geese have incredibly long migration
routes. In the winter, they take up residence throughout all lower US states,
from California completely across to Georgia. Many even hang out in regions of
Mexico." http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art1... The geese usually head towards the south for the warmer temperatures.
I was getting curious during my inquiry to
find out what is so special about the v-formations for flying. I predicted, may
be the shape is helping to fly them fast. I researched and found out the
following explanation on one of the science websites.
“Scientists have determined that the V-shaped formation that geese use when migrating serves two important purposes:
First, it conserves their energy. Each bird flies slightly
above the bird in front of him, resulting in a reduction of wind resistance.
The birds take turns being in the front, falling back when they get tired. In
this way, the geese can fly for a long time before they must stop for rest. Nature article stated that pelicans that fly alone beat their wings
more frequently and have higher heart rates than those that fly in formation.
It follows that birds that fly in formation glide more often and reduce energy
expenditure (Weimerskirch, 2001).
The second benefit
to the V formation is that it is easy to keep track of every bird in the group.
Flying in formation may assist with the communication and coordination within
the group. Fighter pilots often use this formation for the same reason.”
So, this kind of
v- formation help them to fly farther and reach their destination with less
energy expended. They also frequently make loud honking sounds when they fly so
that they communicate effectively with each other during their long journey.
Reflection:
Watching the geese
honking and flying in v-formation in the sky made me curious to know about
their flight patterns and their destination. My inquiry helped me to learn how
the geese migrated to the south where the temperatures are warmer. I also found
that most of the interbred Canadian giant geese do not migrate and they are
quite capable to tolerate the winter temperatures and can be seen throughout
the year in Ohio.
What I predicted for the v-formation
and the details I researched helped me to understand and appreciate how these
birds can effectively work in teams to get over the difficulty of flying the
long distances. I was inspired by the team work they showed in this kind of
formation which helped them not only to reach to their destination with less
energy, but also the honking way of communication helped them to keep a track
of their family and friends together during migration. Thus, this inquiry
helped me to learn a very important aspect of team work that, it is easier to
reach the destination and achieve the target if the team leader and the team,
work in harmony and have a good communication between each other.
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