Starlings are not the only onesįlying in enormous flocks is not uniquely limited to starlings. They have been known to use some harsh methods to rid themselves of the freeloaders, including attempts to blow up whole colonies with dynamite, according to Dale. Owners of olive orchards in Southern Europe understandably want their harvests to go to market, rather than feed starlings. He thinks this might have also impacted Norwegian birds. But Dale says the general weakening of starling populations could be attributed to poorer access to good wintering areas in Southern Europe. Norwegian starlings tend to winter in Great Britain. The reduction in the past 30 years has been about 400 million individual birds.
“Europe has in the main lost vast numbers of birds,” says Svein Dale. The decrease of starlings can be part of the greater picture, as bird populations have generally been on the decline in Europe.
“As the starling is one of several species linked to the agricultural landscape which appear to be in a long-term decline, and this same decline is registered in our neighbouring countries, we figure this is part of a general decline,” according to the Norwegian red list, where the starling is classified as “near threatened”. In the same decade, the population of starlings dropped by about 30 percent in Sweden. The number of starlings that nest in Norway has fallen by about 17 percent in ten years, according to figures from 2013. For decades there have been concerns about declining startling populations in this country and the decline has been steady.” “Up to 5,000 could be seen in a flock, but several years have passed since any flock has been reported at Østensjøvannet. There were large flocks of starlings that landed at overnight spots, such as the lake Østensjøvannet in Oslo,” says Dale. “There used to be many places where they could be sighted, especially in late summer. The starling populations have suffered setbacks and the bird is now considered to be “near threatened” on the national red list which Dale is currently working on. Opportunities to see starling flocks have declined in Norway in the last few decades. The Danes call the flocks a “sort sol”, meaning a black sun.ĭale says that lots of photographers congregate in Denmark to capture the flocks on video. There are many places in Denmark where large flocks of starlings can be observed, and more can be read about them on the web pages of Denmark’s Nature Agency. What we experience as an ultra-fast coordination of a flock of starlings is more of an easy tempo for the individual starling,” says Dale. “It is worth remembering that small birds have reflexes that exceed ours by a long shot. Nor is it certain that the swift turns we see in a large flock of starlings in the sky are experienced so dramatically by the birds themselves. “No, starlings are not flying like this to put on a good show for humans,” says Dale with a laugh. "So this is not a case of birds engaged in an artistic performance?" “One might think there is a risk in being the first bird to touch ground, and there is a little commotion before the flock lands.” I don’t know whether it has a function at such times or they are just having trouble deciding where to land.” “To my understanding, this can occur when the flock is touching down at a place to spend the night. But starling flocks also fly in such formations when no predators are around, according to Dale. The more individuals in a flock, the less risk for each bird of being the unlucky one who gets taken out by a hawk or another raptor. Not just because of enemiesīirds, including starlings, mostly fly in flocks as a defence against birds of prey.
“I think it can be a combination of both,” says Svein Dale. The simulation can be viewed here:Īnother study has shown that the birds act in accordance with the closest seven other starlings as the flock performs its impressively rapid and synchronised acrobatic tricks in the sky. Their study indicated that the aerial formations made by the birds change constantly to give each bird an optimal view of the surroundings. Scientists at the University of Warwick conducted a study in 2014 in which they created a computer simulation of starling flocks fleeing a bird of prey.
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