From geese and pelicans to cranes and cormorants, many birds use a V-shaped flock to master the aerodynamics of long-distance flight. Here is the science behind this clever energy-saving strategy. Canada Geese. Photo: Sydney Walsh/Audubon The scene is a familiar one: A V-shaped flock of Canada Geese flies overhead, wings flapping languidly among the wisps of clouds as their discordant honks carry across the spring or fall air. The shape of the V might not always be perfect, but the birds remain true to the general form as it shifts, stretches, and contracts across the sky. Conventional wisdom holds that flying in a V formation is a means for birds to conserve energy, and research has shown this to be true. But the aerodynamics and flock mechanics involved in this specific formation are more interesting and complex than the simple shape might suggest. In fact, scientists are still uncovering new details about how flocks of birds use basic V principles to hack aerodynamics and increase their efficiency.…