Starling murmuration facts!
Discover some amazing aerial antics…
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a starling murmuration! Come on gang, let’s learn all about these amazing aerial antics…
What is a murmuration?
Murmuration isn’t just a fun word to say – it’s also an incredible natural phenomenon!
Imagine yourself stood out in the countryside, perhaps by a reed bed, near the sea on a large pier, or even on a tall hill in a city. Suddenly, you spot thousands of starlings, all flying together in a whirling, ever-changing pattern. The flock moves together as one, as smooth and fluid as running water. They fly as one huge mass that twists, turns, and changes direction at a moment’s notice!
That’s what seeing a murmuration is like.
Wait, what’s a starling?!
Starlings are small garden birds. They’re pretty common, so you might be lucky enough to spot some in your garden, or other local green spaces!
Their plumage looks black from a distance, but if you look closely you’ll see that starlings are very glossy birds, with a sheen of purple and green feathers.
These chatty birds spend a lot of their time in flocks, especially around the breeding and nesting seasons, or when they’re gathering to roost.
Why do starlings murmurate?
There are a few reasons why birds group together in huge flocks. Firstly, there’s safety in numbers. It’s much harder for predators like the speedy peregrine falcon to single out a particular bird when they’re all flying together.
Even within the murmuration, starlings move around. No one wants to be at the edge of the flock for too long, as this is where they are most vulnerable to predators.
Find out how starlings manage to move around without crashing into each other in our article about flocks!
Starlings also gather together to keep warm and exchange important information – keeping up connections is key when you’re a bird!
Are starlings the only birds that murmurate?
In short: no! Lots of other birds flock together in groups that are similar to starling murmurations. Plus, other animals like fish show similar swarm behaviours, where big groups come together to protect themselves using the same ‘safety in numbers’ tactic that starlings do.
However, the term ‘murmuration‘ is used specifically to describe groups of starlings, because of the elegant way that their flocks move, and the beautiful sky art that they accidentally create!
Where and when to see starling murmurations
Starlings begin to roost in huge flocks after their spring nesting season is over. More and more birds will gather together as the weeks go on and eventually, the flocks can reach numbers of up to 100,000 birds!
The biggest and most incredible starling murmurations happen in winter, when the birds are roosting in huge numbers. You can sometimes spot smaller murmurations earlier on in autumn, too.
The birds mainly choose to gather in safe and sheltered spots, that aren’t affected by harsh weather and which offer some protection from predators. These include woodlands, reed beds, cliffs, buildings, and other industrial structures like piers.
The murmurations will happen over these special gathering places, in the early evening before the birds land and roost for the night.
How can I see a starling murmuration?
If you spot birds gathering, grab an adult and head out to somewhere with a good view just after the sun goes down. You don’t need any special equipment to spot a starling murmuration – just patience! Watch the skies and if you’re lucky, you might even spot an amazing murmuration, just like this one!
Thanks to Huey Images, Hamish Duncan, Rhys Kentish, Steve Harvey, Elissar Haidar and James Crombie for the images used in this article.
Have you ever seen a starling murmuration? Let us know by leaving a comment, below!
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COMMENTS1
Alice
I loved this article om starling murmurations
Laura
I have seen starling murmurations. There is a park near of where I live and they nest there and sleep. They are very noisy birds as well but nice.
Vincent D'Angelo
New Year's Eve's eve 2025 in Rome, Italy. I took several videos of the event. It was my sister who knew more about birds, that told me what it was.
You
SO HELPFUL
Shark girl
That's soo cool
Lu Cress
We saw a huge flock of starlings today. They perched on the highest wires and a 2 story roof. As well as several trees. But always in the highest branches.
Bev
Saw a wonderful limitation this morning over Aldwick Bay in West Sussex. Just wonderful x
Maribeth
Yes, I've seen many and am always absolutely mesmerized. It's like watching an impeccable ballet of beauty as the images they produce are mind blowing and just beautiful and so graceful. As a kid I always was told that starlings were nuisance birds. But, when I began feeding the birds in all my backyard, I began to really appreciate these tiny little beings. They are so graceful and talk about watching a magnificient ballet in motion, then, watch the skies and be prepared to be totally awed by these tiny birds and their agronomic dances in the sky. They are also sweet birds that come to your feeders to eat.
Jameson and Bee Carroll
We have seen this in Pea Ridge Arkansas every night at sunset. Groups meet up in the sky and do a cool dance in the sky. There are thousands!
Sue Dance
We have a starling murmuration that comes every evening before sunset . There are at least 100,000! They line up on the power lines behind our house and watch the sunset. After the sun sets they take off in different groups. It is pretty spectacular!
Hazel
I’ve seen a starling murmuration every day for the past week over my garden which backs onto fields. At its biggest it must consist of about 300 birds, but I’ve noticed they gradually split up into smaller groups. One evening a group of about 50 swooped down and roisted in our hedge
We have many starlings at our feeders. This is the year I have witnessed so many.
JJ
I've never seen a starling murmuration before but it's definitely on my bucket list now!!!
Sonya Rudnitska
It’s amazing! I never seen a starling murmuration, I wish I should spot one!! Our school is learning about the starling murmuration.
Donna
Yes I've seen murmerations and they're very cool
Janice
Hi I just saw hundreds of thousands of starlings. Almost look like a black cloud and they were very very loud! Amazing site.
Jane
That is so cool I have seen a small one before!
Emma
I saw a starling murmuration near my house and it was so cool so i wish i could see it again!
oliver
murmurations look so cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
uuyutyr
WOW
I love it
christine rodeIand
I wish I could see them.
Lila
love the pictures!
Teagan
the last photo looks almost like a giant bird
STARLINGS ARE SO COOL!
Starlings are very pretty birds! This article was awesome and I hope I see a starling in real life soon.
max
this is amazing thanks great facts
Lyn
Every evening from just before dusk this amazing murmatation of starlings...in the sky. They create wonderful shapes in different formations back and forth in the sky above my house. Love watching this incredible sight.
Rey Skywalker
I love Birds and I love Starlings! And watching murmurations is so cool! I always look so wonderful.
Harriet Ivy Crease
Wow!
rosathevampireslayer
I love seeing murmurations. It's amazing how starlings can do them. I read that each starling just keeps an eye on what the group around them are doing and so they all manage to move together.
CommanderDawud
I want more of these plz there very helpful for me
I LOVE BIRDS 2010
This is amazing, especially the photo of the starlings in the shape of a bird, it is incredible, hopefully I will see some one day!
alex
I never seen one
Gavin
I saw a murmuration that was so big and so cool. They were a lot of birds
jitae1
SOOOOOOOOO COOL
Advika
Nice
Baily
Amazing
lukas
Amazing!
luz
i'v seen one before, it was really pretty!
A.O.S.
we saw these birds murmurating outside our window there was over 200max
monica
Amazing starling mumuration in Cappa Kilrush this evening .
shani
Amazing!!
Sophia
Murmurations look so awesome! I hope I can see one!
Gillian
I have just witnessed a mumuration in Aberdeenshure tonight. Is this normal at the end of Ju ne?
S
this is so cool
Emily
birds are amazing.
Jiahao
It is mind blowing the starlings can make murmurations
Jiahao
A murmuration looks so cool!
Jiahao
I've never seen a murmuration before! It looks so cool!!!
May
I have! You see them on the motorway a lot above you in Autumn. Plus, when I went to worthing, there were loads of murmurations there too!
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