• Question: why do birds fly in a big group?

    Asked by to Shaylon on 23 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Shaylon Stolk

      Shaylon Stolk answered on 23 Jun 2014:

      Birds fly in big groups for two major reasons.

      First, lots of species are social, and simply like being together. They hang out with their friends and family for the same sorts of reasons we do. Some species, like ravens, even play together– here’s a video of some goofing around in the snow:
      http://www.arkive.org/raven/corvus-corax/video-16.html

      Other species travel in groups because they help each other out. If all of the members of the group are looking for food, they’re more likely to find some. The same goes for avoiding danger. If everyone is looking out for predators or obstacles, it’s more likely that they can warn the other birds. And some species in cold climates snuggle together to keep warm. Here’s a video of penguins snuggling together to avoid the wind:
      http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13616778

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