New paper published on Proceedings of the Royal Society B

We often notice birds flying in formation, like a ‘V’ or a string. The actual motivation for such an emergent behaviour is pretty elusive. A former PhD student of mine, Elisa Perinot, investigated plenty of data coming from a flock of Geronticus eremita, an endangered species of Ibis. The birds were equipped with accelerometers, hi-res GPS, and heart rate sensors. The data was collected during a migration flight by the WaldrappTeam.

The results of the analyses show that birds flying in formation travel more efficiently, e.g. saving energy by reducing the wingbeat frequency and heartrate. This research was published on the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.