Swans have captured my heart, and here is why:
Aside from swans being the most beautiful and graceful of water birds, I've learned that swans choose their mate for life; they only choose another mate when their current one dies. They also protect their young ones (cygnets) fiercely from any other species, whether it be humans or other animals. The swan also symbolizes divinity and spirituality. It stands for the ethereal. Yet in its long, graceful neck, one can depict a kinship to the snake... According to the Hindu mythology, the swan (Hamsa in Sanskrit) embodies the union of Garuda (mythological bird that is part human) and Naga (in Hindu mythology half human, half serpent), and since those two are enemies, it represents the divine union of opposites. I find this very intriguing, because as long as there is life, there will always be opposites, but if we could find a way to co-exist and respect our differences, then life would be more bearable. The Buddhists have based their spiritual beliefs on this very union of opposites; they call it balance.
Swans and Canadian geese are amongst the large migratory birds, that travel south during late autumn/early winter in search of feeding grounds to survive winter. It's their mighty migration that gets me excited. Whenever I'm out and I hear a flock of Canadian geese noisily making their way south in their beautiful V-formation, I look up in admiration. I've learned that they fly in this formation, because the V-shape reduces the drag force that each bird experiences compared to if it were flying alone. They work in a team. As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow, and by forming a V, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
Though the V-formation benefits all of the birds, the bird in the lead position has to work the hardest, but when it tires, another bird from further back will quickly move into the lead position, as the tired one falls further back into one of the lines of the V. The two birds trailing in the furthest positions of the V also tire more quickly than those in the middle, so these positions are also rotated frequently in order to give each bird a chance to lead the flock, as well as a chance to enjoy the maximum benefits of being in the middle of the formation, which is the position that requires the least effort. This teamwork spirit comes naturally to them, as even the youngest members of the flock rapidly realize the benefits of the V-formation and how much easier it is than to fly alone. Another reason that may explain the question of why birds fly in this formation is that it allows the birds to communicate more easily and it provides them with good visual contact of each other to keep the flock together. The V-formation minimizes the possibility of losing birds along the way, as they're traveling across vast distances during the migration.
What I'm wondering is: why can't we be more like these mighty water birds? Why do we humans have to make life so complicated? Can't we learn from these birds? I've made up my mind; in my next life (if I have to come back), I want to be a swan! :)
