We reserve the right to close comments at any time. Because it would be too hard to fly in an S! There are two different types of bird migration. Single families of geese, or flocks of several families together, take off and head south. Researchers think that the honking sound geese make as they fly is used to help maintain the integrity of the flock, and to co-ordinate position shifts with the V-formation in which they fly. To reduce the effort, geese fly at night when the air is calmer, or in the day when there’s a helpful tailwind; they avoid flying into a headwind that would blow them backward. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best. Help – our 6 geese (2 African Grey – male & female, 4 White Chinese – 3 female, 1 male) are suddenly driving us bonkers with noise! air is calmer, or in the day when there’s a helpful tailwind, form of drafting, also called vortex surfing, Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography/Moment via Getty Images, most northern populations travel to the farthest south, as a consequence of global climate change, to just stay put and skip the migration altogether. Raptors do this. Scientists think this honking has two effects on the entire flock. In addition, they have another energy-saving trick. How do geese know how to fly south for the winter? Geese are heavy birds, and they fly fast – over 30 miles per hour – using powerful wing beats, rather than gliding like eagles or vultures. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. When the goose flying in the front of the formation has to expend the most … Goose migration stopover sites and wintering grounds have shifted, for example, because of changes in farming practices, availability of lawns and golf courses, and other changes in land use. Secondly, and possibly more important, it is widely thought that this honking is a way of encouraging one another, in order to keep up flock moral. This video explains some of the physics of how the V formation helps keep geese up in the sky for less energy. The bird at the point of the V, in the front of the flock, gets no advantage from drafting. Expertise in your inbox. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. Families join together in larger flocks. They’ll end up on the Atlantic Coast and migrate south following the shoreline. And some groups of Canada geese have decided to just stay put and skip the migration altogether. Canada geese usually fly in a large V-shaped formation, with one bird in the lead and the others trailing behind it in two diverging lines. Answer by … To reduce drag and to receive a little extra lift, geese fly close behind and about one wing length to the side of the one immediately in front. When it gets too tired, it drops back and another takes the lead. Flocks join with other flocks. NOAA Photo Library. The goose (singular for geese) is a kind of bird or fowl that number to about 52 species scattered all over the world. Hawks, eagles, etc. For most bird species that migrate from temperate climates to the tropics in winter, migration is instinctual. Most geese that breed in a particular region will migrate along similar routes, called flyways. He asks: Why do geese expend the energy to honk when they fly? Geese have a clock in their brain that measures how much sunlight there is each day. Geese have a physical compass in their head that allows them to tell north and south by detecting the Earth’s magnetic field. They have somewhere to go. These birds, such as swallows, orioles and warblers, leave their northern breeding place before weather turns harsh and food becomes scarce. Young geese learn the migration route and landmarks by following their parents and other experienced geese. Ben Mieremet, NOAA photographer. More southerly breeding populations don’t migrate as far. (T-14.III.5) Geese honk at each other as they fly together to encourage and communicate. To communicate with a mate. The goose (singular for geese) is a kind of bird or fowl that number to about 52 species scattered all over the world. Them dearly to make all that sound when that energy could be more productively used to maintain their flight let. Conserve fuel newsletter and get expert takes on today ’ s magnetic field in... 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