Flying in a flock comes at a cost in pigeons

James R. Usherwood (), Marinos Stavrou, John C. Lowe, Kyle Roskilly and Alan M. Wilson
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James R. Usherwood: Structure and Motion Laboratory, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, North Mymms, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK
Marinos Stavrou: Structure and Motion Laboratory, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, North Mymms, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK
John C. Lowe: Structure and Motion Laboratory, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, North Mymms, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK
Kyle Roskilly: Structure and Motion Laboratory, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, North Mymms, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK
Alan M. Wilson: Structure and Motion Laboratory, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, North Mymms, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK

Nature, 2011, vol. 474, issue 7352, 494-497

Abstract: High-cost flight for flocking pigeons Close monitoring of 18 pigeons during 7 bouts of flight around their home loft, in which they clocked up more than 9 pigeon-hours and 400 pigeon-kilometres of flight, suggests that there is a high cost involved in formation flying. Pigeons in flocks flap much faster and engage in banked turns that double g-force and quadruple effort. Flying close together is, in terms of energetics, very costly. Whatever advantage flocking provides must lie elsewhere.

Date: 2011
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DOI: 10.1038/nature10164

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