University of Gloucestershire researchers are inviting the public to take part in a nationwide study of starling murmurations, a decade after thousands of people helped uncover important clues about why these spectacular displays occur.
Professors Anne Goodenough and Adam Hart will revisit the citizen science research they first carried out about these mesmerising natural spectacles during the winters of 2014-15 and 2015-16 in collaboration with the Royal Society of Biology.
The new project, supported by Starling Bank, will allow Professor Goodenough and Professor Hart to investigate whether murmurations have changed over the past decade and, if so, explore what the causes for that might be.
The original citizen science project generated more than 3,000 reports, mostly from across the UK but with sightings submitted from 23 countries.
Analysis by Professor Goodenough, Professor Hart and colleagues provided important evidence about one of the central mysteries surrounding murmurations: why starlings gather in such enormous, tightly coordinated flocks before going to roost.
The study found the average reported murmuration contained around 30,000 birds, while the largest was over 750,000. Birds of prey were recorded at almost 30% of murmurations, and their presence was associated with larger and longer murmuration displays.
The research supported the idea that murmurations are primarily an anti-predator behaviour, with gathering in huge, rapidly moving flocks helping starlings reduce the threat posed by predators such as peregrine falcons and sparrowhawks.
These findings were published in 2017 in the open-access paper, Birds of a Feather Flock Together: Insights into Starling Murmuration Behaviour Revealed Using Citizen Science.
For the new study, members of the public across the UK will be invited to report murmurations they see during the coming autumn and winter through a short online survey.
Information requested includes where and when the display occurred, its approximate size and duration, and whether birds of prey were present. There is more information available by scanning the QR code below and at glos.ac.uk/starlings
Professor Goodenough, Professor of Applied Ecology at the University and lead author of the original study, said: “Ten years since our original research, we have the opportunity to repeat the study and ask what, if anything, has changed. Are murmurations bigger or smaller, are they happening at the same times and places, and do we still see the same relationship with predators?”
Professor Hart, Professor of Conservation Ecology at the University and co-author of the original study, said: “The great thing about this project is that almost anyone can contribute. Some simple observations from thousands of people can tell us more about this remarkable behaviour.”
Michele Rousseau, Chief Marketing Officer at Starling Bank said: “Starling murmurations are a part of the British identity, our natural history, and a symbol of collective community. That’s why these birds are the namesake for Starling Bank, and why we’re encouraging our customers, and the UK public, to take part in University of Gloucestershire’s important research.”