Murmuration: Science behind Amazing Ever-Changing Flight Patterns of Birds
Amazing phenomenon of nature observed by lucky few
We all have seen the flying birds either single one or flying in groups. Have you ever encountered a rare phenomenon where hundreds or thousands of birds fly together in sync making patterns in sky? This is called Murmuration: Amazing Ever-Changing Flight Patterns of Birds!
Starling Birds
Starlings or Sturnus Vulgaris, are medium sized passerine birds, of family “Sturnidae”. The “Sturnidae” comes from Latin word Sturnus. Asian species are called Mynas and many African species are called glossy starlings because of their plumage.
What is Murmuration?
Murmurations are groups of Starlings moving and flying together in huge form of clouds in sky, creating patterns in sky. They form/write geometric mathematical abstractions in sky with patterns.
They swoon, twist, turn and swirl in sky together making shape shifting clouds of birds just before dusk near their roosting sites.
Observed one such huge European Starling murmuration in the sky, while driving back home after family outing, yesterday near North Campus of University of Buffalo, in Buffalo, NY. The starlings thrive in Western New York and pretty much in most of the places in North America.
Murmuration: The term is a Onomatopoeic, meaning that world itself is a description of sound that flock of birds make by their wings in sky.
Time of Murmurations
Th starling birds leave their place of stay/ marshes during the day and go off to feed for about 20 miles away. They return in afternoon and murmurations can start an hour before sunset!
Advantages of Murmurations for Starlings
The main reason why Starling fly in flocks and murmurate is as follows:
- To keep off predators when the birds are together
- Keep the flock warm
- To help birds fly and cover long distances
- To communicate and transfer information about food, shelter, predator and so on