With the arrival of cold weather, features also emerge flocks of starlings The one that lights up the Spanish skies. These large clusters of birds act as if they were a single organism, creating wavy, dynamic clouds in harmonious movement. Anyone who sees them can’t help but be amazed. However Why do they act like this? This is not a whimsical thing, but rather a survival strategy.
Starlings live in forests, agricultural lands, tree crops, parks, gardens and city centers; I mean, almost everywhere. In fact, they are present throughout almost the entire Iberian Peninsula.
There are two different types in Spain: black starling (Sturnus monochrome) and starling (Sturnus vulgaris). The former live on the Peninsula all year round, while the latter winter.
As José María de la Peña of the Spanish Society of Ornithology (SEO/BirdLife) explains, both very enterprising species form large flocks during the winter months when food is scarce.
Maybe in those big clouds of starlings tens of thousands of birds flying simultaneously and in perfect synchronizationas if it were a giant aerial ballet.
Moreover, in most cases, both spotted and black starlings are found in these groups (the first have light spots, while the second are completely dark).
“In addition to making foraging a less tedious task, The wings serve to help starlings avoid or mislead possible predators lurking in the area.. And since there are thousands of eyes waiting for any intruder, it is much easier to detect any threat,” says De la Peña.
Predators have a very difficult time catching a starling in these conditions. Because the formations they fly into do not follow a fixed direction, but make sudden turns, change direction, carve from side to side, and regroup unexpectedly. … This is how they manage to surprise the huntedEven though they are fast hawks, they cannot focus on a specific bird.
De la Peña adds that this is a strategy very similar to that followed by schools of fish in the sea.
These large flocks form only during the winter months when starlings do not have to care for their chicks and can devote more time to their own survival.
However How do they manage to keep these formations together despite moving so fast?? The same ornithologist gives us the answer: One of the factors these birds use is communication during flight. Starlings fly making a lot of noise, so they inform the rest of the flock about their location. This is the way they should avoid colliding with or obstructing each other.
Another mechanism they use for coordination is light and dark. “During group flight, they always tend to follow the dark silhouettes of their mates and avoid open areas where they see light. “This is what creates these rapid movements and allows sudden changes of direction,” he adds.
But they don’t always fly this way. Because in order to form a group with these characteristics, there must first be a sufficient number of starlings. It will be easier to spot these flocks in the right habitats and near their nests.
In this video you can see how these flocks fly.
Regarding the conservation situation in Spain, Neither one species nor the other poses any threatAccording to SEO, even their population is increasing in our country. Their ease of adaptation to almost any living environment makes them particularly versatile and resistant to impacts that threaten many other species.
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Contact address of the environmental department:krisclimatica@prensaiberica.es
Source: Informacion
James Sean is a writer for “Social Bites”. He covers a wide range of topics, bringing the latest news and developments to his readers. With a keen sense of what’s important and a passion for writing, James delivers unique and insightful articles that keep his readers informed and engaged.