This is a Hipmunk post from Jodi Ettenberg of Legal Nomads
But photos can only capture so much. Thankfully, Sophie Windsor Clive from Ireland had a video camera with her when she stumbled on a murmuration of starlings:
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/31158841 w=500&h=400]
Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.
As Wired Magazine noted in an article about starling physics:
Mathematical analysis of flock dynamics show how each starling’s movement is influenced by every other starling, and vice versa. It doesn’t matter how large a flock is, or if two birds are on opposite sides. It’s as if every individual is connected to the same network.
The article also makes it clear that the connectivity of movement as a whole is something scientists have yet to understand. The strong correlation between each of the birds remains a mystery, but one that is beautiful to behold.
-Jodi
