Flocks of starlings, known as murmurations, are one of winter’s most impressive shows and be seen across the province; They can involve hundreds of thousands of starlings gathering noisily together at dusk and sweeping across the sky in a huge dark cloud of synchronised flight.
Watching thousands of starlings move across the sky as one is such an unforgettable and truly inspiring experience. It starts with just small groups of birds that gradually join together and become one swarming mass twisting and turning overhead, before plunging down into their roosting spot to settle down for the night.
There are some great spots in Northern Ireland to see this spectacle, with the Albert Bridge in Belfast city and Legananny, near Castledawson in Co. Down being two particularly good ones. You can also catch them gathering at the Broadway roundabout in Belfast on the "Rise" statue before they head off to roost under the Albert Bridge - can you spot them in the picture below?
Each year the starling numbers are boosted by starlings arriving from continental Europe to spend the winter here, and it is these large numbers of birds that create such an impressive spectacle. But, there is evidence of a decline in the number of starlings visiting the UK in winter, and this could be linked to the birds’ decline elsewhere in Europe. Figures show that some 40 million starlings have disappeared from the European Union, including the UK, since 1980.
The thing is, we don’t quite know why these murmurations happen, so the University of Gloucestershire is asking us all to record sightings over the winter to start solving the mystery. By filling in a very simple form, you can help track murmurations right across the UK.
Starlings are also one of the birds we ask you to look out for each year in our Big Garden Birdwatch, which is coming up in January. This also helps us track where these birds are, and ultimately, helps us stop their declines.