Blackpool, Lancashire. 11th December 2018. UK Weather. The skies darken over Blackpool as tens of thousands of Starlings swarm over the North Pier. An estimated 20, 000 roosting birds swoop and position to pick the best spot to survive the cold night on the Fylde coast; described as the last dance before bed, the reason for the swooping, twisting and twirling remains largely a mystery. Grouping together offers safety in numbers – predators such as peregrine falcons find it hard to target one bird in the middle of a hypnotising flock of thousands. Credit: MediaWorldImages/Alamy Live News
Thousands of starling birds flying together to create mesmerising patterns called 'murmurations'. It's thought it could be a form of protection from predators, or a way of signposting a roost. A big public survey is taking place to collect sightings of starling murmurations. It's hoped the data can be used to find out more about the birds' ballet moves. Why and how the starling flies in such beautiful formations – hypnotically dancing in the air and making coordinated split-second turns – is something ornithologists have researched and continue trying to fathom. Flocks are swelled by the influx of migrant bird rom Norway and norther climeshave now left for the uk &warmer countries. The majority migrate out in the course of October and they usually return by the end of March.
Size: 3600px × 2399px
Location: Blackpool, UK
Photo credit: © MediaWorldImages / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: bird, birds, birdwatching, blackpool, britain, british, coast, coastal, december, display, displaying, dusk, england, english, evening, flight, flock, flocks, flying, formation, great, iridescent-black, kingdom, lancashire, migration, mumurating, mumuration, murmuration, numbers, ornithology, protection, roost, roosting, roosts, royal, rspb, seaside, silhouette, silhouetted, society, speckled, starling, starlings, sturnus, sundown, sunset, sunsets, twilight, uk, united, vulgaris, weather, west, winter, wintering
