The dark, smudgy streaks on Xavi Bou's photographs suggest the jerky ink tracks created by a malfunctioning printer, but they actually record the various patterns birds trace while flying in flocks.

When many migrating birds undertake their arduous flights, they'll often arrange themselves in a V shape, but what drives this distinctive behavior?

Migratory birds in V-formations master aerodynamic principles, using air currents from leading birds to conserve energy. Research reveals precise wing positioning and synchronized wingbeats allow ...

Watching starling murmurations as the birds swoop, dive, and wheel through the sky is one of the great pleasures of a dusky winter’s evening. From Naples to Newcastle, these flocks of agile birds are ...

BND photojournalist Derik Holtmann recently captured images of a huge flock of birds flying in unison before sunset near Illinois 4 in Mascoutah. A gigantic flock of birds is a familiar site around ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. Most birds fly at low altitudes, relatively speaking. But ...