Thousands of starlings have been seen gathering next to Brean Down this week.
A local photographer took pictures of the birds gathering – known as a murmuration – in on the farmland with Brent Knoll in the distance.
The sight of thousands of birds swooping overhead in perfect formation is an impressive wildlife phenomena that’s often seen at Brean.
An RSPB spokesperson says: “It’s been called the greatest wildlife spectacle in Britain and is remarkable to witness. Studies suggest that starlings congregate in these remarkable ‘murmurations’ to deter possible predators, which are confused by the swirling masses. Despite a recent drop in their overall population, you can still witness the mesmerising sight of thousands of birds performing their aerial dance at dawn and dusk.”
“Starlings have extremely fast reaction times and can make changes in their flight direction in a split second. It is now generally thought that flocking helps to protect the starlings from predators. We all know the old saying that there’s safety in numbers.”
“Put simply, the more starlings there are in a flock, the smaller chance each individual has of being caught by an airborne predator. Studies have even shown that individual starlings move around within the flock and try to minimise their time on the edge where they are most vulnerable.”
“They are gregarious birds, living in flocks for much of the year. But it is in winter, when starling numbers are boosted by migrant birds from colder parts of Europe that these aerial displays are at their breath-taking best.”
In the UK, starling numbers have declined by over 80% in the last 50 years, causing this species to be red listed as a bird of high conservation concern.
