Two girls enjoying a canoe ride on the River Shannon had the luck of the Irish on their side when they happened across a beautiful display, courtesy of mother nature. They had set out on the water to do some exploring and took their cameras along to document the trip. After rowing only a few paces they looked up and saw thousands of birds filling the sky above them.
The birds were starlings and when they flock together in such large numbers it becomes an event known as a murmuration. The sight of all the birds moving in unison, swirling around, gracefully twisting, and swiftly flying back and forth is breathtaking to behold.
However, these aerial shows are almost always caused by the presence of a too close for comfort falcon. In order to put a safe distance between a predator and themselves the starlings use the murmuration’s movements, along with strength in numbers, as a defense mechanism. Just like all flocks of birds, there is no one leader. Instead, the movement of the flock is governed collectively by each and every member.
What makes starling flocks stand out from other flocks is the fluidity of their motions. When one bird changes either speed or direction, each and every other bird does so as well, adjusting almost simultaneously. The speed and accuracy of their movements in such large numbers is unrivaled by any other animal in nature. The starlings exhibit such a unique collective response that scientists have tried to study it. However the mystery endures as to how they manage to coordinate in such seemingly perfect interconnectedness.
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