Are starlings in the sky telling us a thing or two?

Updated
photo of starlings in the sky show amazing formations
photo of starlings in the sky show amazing formations

Caters/George Reszeter


This snap of hundreds of starlings moving together in the sky above Didcot Power Station in Oxfordshire was taken by one lucky photographer who noticed that they formed some incredible shapes - including a perfect number two.

George Reszeter waited patiently in the hope of capturing something special - and he was rewarded with this image of the group of starlings - known as a murmuration.

"It was a spectacular sight - the birds appeared to come from nowhere," he said.

Murmurations can typically be seen at dusk between November and February, but the reason for these synchronised demonstrations are still unknown. Most experts believe they are a way of scaring predators off.

Getty

The RSPB reports that the number of starlings across Europe is in steep decline. Figures show that 40 million starlings have disappeared from the European Union since 1980, and a research project has been launched to discover the reason.

Together with country bird recorders, have put together a list of sites that are known to have starling roosts or those where there is a high probability before winter is over. While there's no guarantee that they will be seen (these birds tend to move around from roost to roost), you can see the list here.

Starlings in the sky tell us a thing or two
Starlings in the sky tell us a thing or two

PA


Top hot spots include nature reserves around the UK incude Somerset Levels an Moors, Strumpshaw Fen in Norfolk, Blackpool pier, and Brighton sea front (pictured above), between the old West Pier and the Marina.



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