Wild geese are migratory birds, and they can travel fro thousands of kilometers to get to their northern breeding grounds. They fly in a V-formation in order to save as much energy as possible during long flights. The energy is saved by reducing air resistance, since each bird benefits from having another bird flying in front of it. With every wing movement, a flying bird produces an up-current which can be used by the bird behind. Wild geese that fly in a V-formation are on average over 70% faster than birds flying alone. When the lead goose begins to tire it falls back and another goose moves to the front. Sparrows on the other hand, are sedentary birds. They live in the same region whatever the time of year. Since they do not have to travel long distances, they have no need to organize themselves to fly in any particular pattern. Most birds that migrate-including many of the songbirds-don't fly in a V-formation because they are more likely to fly alone and tend to travel at night.
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