Why do birds fly so low to the ground when crossing roads? Whenever I’m driving they fly right in front of my car when they could fly at any other height?

Question

Why do birds fly so low to the ground when crossing roads? Whenever I’m driving they fly right in front of my car when they could fly at any other height?

In: Biology

Answer 1

If a bird wants to fly from one point to another, it takes a lot less energy if they “dip” down like this than if they try to maintain a perfectly level flight. This is because the drop at the start helps them to gain speed, and the climb at the end helps them to slow down.