Voekl B & Fritz J 2017
Voekl B & Fritz J (2017)
Relation between travel strategy and social organization of migrating birds with special consideration of formation flight in the Northern Bald Ibis.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 372: 20160235. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2016.0235.
A considerable proportion of the world’s bird species undertake seasonal long distance migrations. These journeys are energetically demanding. Two major behavioural means to reduce energy expenditure have been suggested: the use of thermal uplifts for a soaring-gliding migration style and travelling in echelon or V-shaped formation. Both strategies have immediate consequences for the social organization of the birds as they either cause large aggregations or require travelling in small and stable groups. Here, we first discuss those consequences, and second present an analysis of formation flight in a flock of Northern Bald Ibis on their first southbound migration.
