Geese flying in formation during their annual migration is often used as leadership lessons in many leadership seminars, and rightfully so. As humans, we can definitely learn many leadership qualities from geese. That said, how do geese decide who gets to be the leader?
Geese don’t have one leader when they fly. Instead, they are taking turns, sharing the responsibility of being the lead bird. Each goose in the flock has an equal share of leading to split the load among multiple birds while flying in V formation.
Who Is the Leader in a Flock of Geese?
Although it may seem that one goose is leading a flock of geese as they cross the skies during migration, the other birds within the flock do not follow a leader based on any particular attribute.
Being in front of the V formation is a demanding and taxing position that requires the lead bird to spend more energy and effort than those at the back. To overcome this challenge, members of the flock regularly switch places.
Geese are gregarious birds who develop socially and seem to do well at sharing responsibility for the group, even offering support to the lead bird with their honking calls.
A rotating vortex of air rolls off each of the wingtips of the lead bird as it flaps its wings. The air directly behind the lead bird creates a downward push while those on the sides have an upward lift. These vortices help the trailing bird fly easily.
To save energy, the geese following the lead bird fly on its side instead of directly behind it, forming a V shape. Additionally, each bird flies slightly above the bird in front of them to reduce wind resistance or cut air resistance and take advantage of the lift created by the vortices.
A similar principle explains why fighter jets fly in V formation to conserve fuel and reduce drag.
Besides creating less resistance, flying in formation helps geese communicate and coordinate with each other more effectively.
Furthermore, when one bird falls sick, two other geese break away with the flock. It will rest with the other birds and will re-join the flock once it recovers.
How Does Flying in v Formation Give Geese an Aerodynamic Boost?
When geese fly in a V formation, they are able to gain an aerodynamic boost from the air currents. The lead goose flaps its wings and creates an updraft, which pushes the other geese along.
This formation also helps the birds conserve energy, as they can fly in the wake of the lead bird.
Geese flying in V flying formation requires a great deal of coordination and communication, but it ultimately helps the geese travel further and faster, particularly over long migratory routes.
Do Geese Stay in Flocks?
Geese are interesting creatures. They are social animals and live in family groups. The parents stay with their young during their first year of life.
When large flocks of geese are flying south in the fall or north in the spring, you can often see the different family units separate into smaller clusters before the moment they land.
This is an amazing adaptation that allows the different families to keep track of one another and to stay together. They don’t have a single leader and instead take turns leading.
Do Geese Live in a Social Hierarchy?
Geese typically live in family groups which consist of two adult birds and their young birds. Each family unit lives within several other family groups to form what is called a gaggle. They provide safety in numbers for the birds.
In a gaggle, each goose looks out for the others, ensuring everyone is safe and accounted for. This type of community living is beneficial for the geese, as it gives them a better chance of survival.
It’s interesting that while geese live in a community and enjoy the company of others, they don’t have a strict social hierarchy like some other animals.
Instead, they tend to form close bonds with those around them and work together as a team.
Do Geese Have Alphas or Leaders?
No, geese don’t have alphas or leaders. What they have are bullies. This waterfowl species aren’t like wolves, where there’s a strict hierarchy or pecking order with an alpha at the top.
The goose flock is more of a democracy, and each bird has an equal say.
However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t conflict within the flock. There will always be some more aggressive birds that will try to boss the others around.
These are the bullies of the flock. But even the bullies will get hurt or even killed eventually.
Conclusion on How Do Canada Geese Decide Who Will Be Leading the Group
So how do geese decide who leads? If you wonder how the point bird is chosen, here’s your answer. When geese fly in formation in the sky, every bird has an equal chance to take the lead position so that the first bird could rest.
It is instead shared among all flock members. The way they share leadership seems to be an effective way to keep everyone on task and ensure that no one gets too tired.
When one goose gets tired, you would see it falling back and letting the next bird take the lead position.
Working together as a team while in flight allows geese to support each other and fly long distances and share a common direction. These are valuable lessons we can learn from these birds as well.
FAQs on Geese
How Do Geese Show Affection?
Geese show affection by putting their faces close to one another. You can hold goslings close to your face to reassure them, but don’t try that with antisocial adult geese.
Geese are social creatures and enjoy spending time with their flock mates. If you see a goose hanging out by itself, it’s likely because it’s been ostracized from the flock.
Geese often preen each other’s feathers and may even share food to show affection.
How Do Canada Geese Decide When to Take Off?
Most geese migrate south beginning in the fall but how do they know when it’s time to migrate? Geese determine when to start flying south by looking at the amount of sunlight each day, geese can tell when it’s time to head south for the winter.
The length of daylight sets this internal clock, triggering a series of events that prepare the goose for its long journey.
The goose’s body starts to produce more feathers. These new feathers are usually thicker and provide insulation to keep the goose warm during its flight. The goose also stores more fat, which is used as energy during the long journey.
As the days get shorter, the goose’s internal clock tells it to start migrating. The goose will join a flock of other geese and follow a familiar migration route to its winter home.
