Dance of starlings over the Tormes River

Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are highly gregarious birds that migrate to warmer latitudes in the autumn months. Before nightfall, migrating starlings gather in enormous flocks that fly in coordinated patterns for several minutes above the place where they will rest (they often choose city parks as roosting sites because the noise helps deter predators). Their acrobatics have no leader and are the result of the wind and other factors such as the presence of other birds. Their high degree of coordination comes from the fact that each starling takes a few nearby birds as a reference to follow during flight, which means that, despite the erratic movements of the group, the acrobatics display remarkable harmony.

This video shows the spectacle I recorded last Saturday while walking along the Tormes River near Salas Bajas in the city of Salamanca.