So Ordinary, So Extraordinary
On a busy Saturday, I walked through The Hague Market when my eyes and ears were caught by a starling. Perched on a metal fence, he was singing his lungs out, unnoticed by humans or fellow birds. His voice, full of effort and melody, was completely drowned out by clanging trams, shouting vendors, and roaring scooters.
But I saw him. And even though he probably wasn’t singing just for me, at least his effort wasn’t entirely in vain.
Iridescent Elegance
To me, this moment captures the essence of the starling: a striking, characterful bird that’s too often dismissed as “ordinary”. But ordinary? Hardly. During mating season, their iridescent plumage shimmers in deep greens, blues, and purples, all at once. What may appear black from afar turns into a miniature aurora close-up.
And let’s not forget their song. Starlings are master mimics. They can imitate other birds, mammals, car alarms, human speech and even camera shutters! Listen here and – promise- you’ll never hear them the same way again.
Sort Sol | The Black Sun
Then there are the murmurations; a natural wonder. In Denmark, this phenomenon is called Sort Sol, or “Black Sun”. These massive swirling flocks can block out the setting sun, creating awe-inspiring sky ballets.
Imagine it: hundreds of thousands of birds, arriving at the same time, same place, with no calendar, no WhatsApp group, and no leader. While we humans struggle to meet with five friends, these birds move in seamless harmony, never crashing; something even scientists still don’t fully understand.
And even if you ignore the physics and mystery of it all, it is simply… breathtaking. A living cloud, morphing and swirling at dusk like a giant Barbapapa. Nature, at her most poetic.
Starling Facts
Mimicking Magic
Starlings are brilliant imitators of sounds: from other birds and mammals to machines and even human voices.
Keeping Up with the Neighbors
In flight, starlings adjust their movement based on their six or seven closest neighbors. This creates coordinated waves of motion. Fast, responsive, and beautifully synchronized.
