A Murmuration of Starlings – Magical [VIDEO]

What is that in the sky? Clouds? Bugs? No, it's a murmuration of Starlings.

Well, I've never seen or even heard of such a thing but I'm glad I watched this video because it is an incredibly beautiful display of nature.

Scientists say murmurations are the birds' survival tactic. Lots of bigger birds like to eat Starlings, so the birds stick together - seeking safety in numbers. None of the birds want to be on the outside of the flock, where they can be picked off by predators, and none of them want to be the first to land.

Soon there is a huge, swirling cloud of birds where each bird tries to closely follow it's neighbor's changes in speed and direction. As a result, tiny movements by one bird are magnified by those birds around it, creating rippling, swirling patterns. It looks very much like one huge, graceful creature flying through the sky.

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.