Lakin, a new monthly correspondent and Ursids alumni, shares some information with us about geese migration in this week’s blog post. She talks about why they form a “V” to fly, as well as what happens to those geese who don’t complete the entire migration journey!
Lakin P.
In the fall you always see birds flying in a V-shape. Where are they going? This process is called migration. All through the October they are leaving to go South to a warmer climate with a good food source. This voyage is about 2-3 thousand miles. That’s far, sometimes geese get tired, ill, or injured and cannot finish the journey with the group. They then become “Resident geese” and do not migrate. “Resident geese” can fly long distances as their migratory cousins, they learned that it is not needed.
Why do they fly in a V-shape? The V-shape saves energy. When the bird in the front gets tired, it slowly flies to the back, and the next one steps up. They all rotate up. Another benefit to the V-shape formation is it is easier to stay together. The geese make this trek again in the spring. Make sure you look for them on their return trip home.
Geese Migration
Posted: November 7, 2016 by Katie Cassidy
Lakin, a new monthly correspondent and Ursids alumni, shares some information with us about geese migration in this week’s blog post. She talks about why they form a “V” to fly, as well as what happens to those geese who don’t complete the entire migration journey!
In the fall you always see birds flying in a V-shape. Where are they going? This process is called migration. All through the October they are leaving to go South to a warmer climate with a good food source. This voyage is about 2-3 thousand miles. That’s far, sometimes geese get tired, ill, or injured and cannot finish the journey with the group. They then become “Resident geese” and do not migrate. “Resident geese” can fly long distances as their migratory cousins, they learned that it is not needed.
Why do they fly in a V-shape? The V-shape saves energy. When the bird in the front gets tired, it slowly flies to the back, and the next one steps up. They all rotate up. Another benefit to the V-shape formation is it is easier to stay together. The geese make this trek again in the spring. Make sure you look for them on their return trip home.
Photo Credit: dfbovey; original photo: click here
Category: Youth Blog Tags: birds, nature observation, reports from the field, Ursids, wildlife, winter, youth