Flocking of V-shaped and Echelon Northern Bald Ibises with Different Wingspans: Repositioning and Energy Saving

TL;DR

This study investigates how V-shaped and echelon formations of Northern Bald Ibises with different wingspans affect flight efficiency, highlighting energy savings and repositioning strategies during migration.

Contribution

It introduces a novel replacement algorithm for load balancing in bird flocks with varying wingspans, enhancing understanding of formation flight dynamics.

Findings

Formation position affects individual energy consumption.

Smaller birds can lead during migration.

Repositioning improves overall energy efficiency.

Abstract

V-shaped and echelon formations help migratory birds to consume less energy for migration. As the case study, the formation flight of the Northern Bald Ibises is considered to investigate different effects on their flight efficiency. The effects of the wingtip spacing and wingspan are examined on the individual drag of each Ibis in the flock. Two scenarios are considered in this study, (1) increasing and (2) decreasing wingspans toward the tail. An algorithm is applied for replacement mechanism and load balancing of the Ibises during their flight. In this replacing mechanism, the Ibises with the highest value of remained energy are replaced with the Ibises with the lowest energy, iteratively. The results indicate that depending on the positions of the birds with various sizes in the flock, they consume a different level of energy. Moreover, it is found that also small birds have the chance to take the lead during the flock.