Mmastodon ScienceBiology first seen 1 d ago, last 12 h ago, peak #2

Starling murmurations fill autumn skies with shifting shapes

Original: A living cloud. ☁️✨ Thousands of starlings swirl into shapes that melt and reform in seconds — a murmuration. Each bird

Thousands of starlings are forming murmurations across autumn skies, swirling into shapes that melt and reform within seconds. Each bird tracks roughly its seven nearest neighbours, allowing the whole flock to turn almost instantly and leaving predators such as peregrine falcons unable to single out a target. The spectacle is drawing admiration online as the seasonal displays return.

Why now: Autumn is murmuration season, and the striking visual of the flocks is being widely shared and admired.

starlingsperegrine falcon

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Evidence

• A living cloud. ☁️✨ Thousands of starlings swirl into shapes that melt and reform in seconds — a murmuration. Each bird tracks just its ~7 nearest neighbors, so the whole flock turns almost instantly, leaving predators like peregrine falcons unable to pick a target. Autumn… · eatrics · 4

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