Starlings are highly social songbirds best known for forming huge, fast-moving flocks, especially in winter. A murmuration—the swirling, shape-shifting aerial display made by thousands of birds flying closely together—seems to serve several purposes: it can reduce an individual bird’s risk of being caught by a predator (because predators are confused by the moving mass and have trouble targeting one bird), it may help birds share information about good roosting sites, and it can also improve safety and efficiency as the flock settles to roost for the night.
