The bird in the lead (at the forward point of the “V” formation) works the hardest by being the
first to ‘break through’ the air ,which offers resistance to its flight. Just
as a boat leaves a V-shaped wake of smoother water behind it, the lead bird
leaves a V-shaped wake of slightly ‘smoother’ air behind it (actually the lead
bird creates a trial of air turbulence that helps lift along the V-shaped
direction),and it is a bit easier for the other birds to fly in the wake of the
lead bird.
If you watch a V-formation carefully, you’ll notice that the
lead bird does not stay in that position for very long and will drop back into
the formation , while another, not-as-tired bird takes the lead, breaking
through the air first. Courtesy
: The Hindu.
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