Drafting (racing)

This article is about the racing technique. For other uses, see Drafting (disambiguation)

Drafting in nature

Cooperative fluid dynamics techniques like drafting are found in nature, as well. Flocks of geese and some other birds fly in a "V" formation that is believed to improve overall fluid dynamics, though not in the straightforward fashion of car racing, which involves close positioning in single file. Goose flocking is not fully understood, but probably involves the recovery of energy from vortices created by the leading birds' wingtips. (For this reason, it may not meet some people's definition of drafting).

Related Topics:
Geese - Vortices

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Other animals have been observed to use true drafting behavior reminiscent of auto racing or cycling. Lobsters, for example, are known to migrate in close single-file formation "lobster trains", sometimes for hundreds of miles.

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