Coilhouse » Blog Archive » A Starling Murmuration in Ireland

A Starling Murmuration in Ireland

This breathtaking footage, shot on the River Shannon in Ireland by Liberty Smith and Sophie Windsor Clive, is a prime example of a natural phenomenon known as a “starling murmuration”. These kinds of displays are currently happening all over Ireland and Great Britain, as autumn turns to winter and millions of Sturnus vulgaris migrate there from Russia and Scandinavia to escape the murderous cold. From TIME Magazine:

“Even complex algorithmic models haven’t yet explained the starlings’ acrobatics, which rely on the tiny bird’s quicksilver reaction time of under 100 milliseconds to avoid aerial collisions—and predators—in the giant flock. Despite their show of force in the dusky sky, starlings have declined significantly in the UK in recent years, perhaps because of a drop in nesting sites. The birds still roost in several of Britain’s rural pastures, however, settling down to sleep (and chatter) after the evening’s ballet.”

Previously on Coilhouse:

Image of a Rome murmuration found on Bornhtt.