How it is that birds decide which one goes where when migrating in a V formation has long bewildered many, and researchers have come up with some answers.

How it is that birds decide which one goes where when migrating in a V formation has long bewildered many, and researchers have come up with some answers.

Scientists from Germany, Austria, and the UK tracked a northern bald ibis group while it made a trek of nearly a thousand miles.

Not surprisingly, flying that long and far puts a great deal of physical stress on the animals.

The V formation does allow for some relief as a number can coast on the updraft of those in front of them, but that really only benefits the birds in the back.

So, who gets the easy ride and which one has to lead?

To figure that out, the researchers outfitted a 14-member flock with GPS devices and analyzed their movements both individually and as a group.

It was discovered that the birds take turns in various positions, thus distributing the labor