Why do birds sitting on a power line all look in the same direction? Birds fly and land into the wind for maximum lift and control of flight. All birds land into the wind, explains Bobby Harrison of Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. These finches do likewise and, therefore, land facing the same direction -- into the wind.
The wind shifts direction, as it often does in springtime New Mexico, and the birds move with the wind, still heading into the wind and consequently still facing the same direction on the power line.
Now the wind dies. The becalmed birds begin to preen and hop about as the mood strikes and face different directions.
A few species, however, like the golden crown sparrow of California, still face the same direction. They do this even though no wind co-ordinates their choice, to keep relationships peaceful.
There you have it – when it is windy, birds face into the wind. Otherwise most species face randomly selected directions.
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