Falcon attack on starling murmuration 'incredible'

A "breathtaking" attack by what was believed to be a peregrine falcon on a murmuration of thousands of starlings has been captured on video.

Alex Cunningham managed to film the "incredible" spectacle above a "built up urban area" in Upton, Cheshire, close to Chester Zoo in February.

The wildlife expert, who is the zoo's schools engagement officer, went with colleague Mayukh Chatterjee in the hope of seeing the display after hearing about it.

He said it was a stunning sight on an "everyday street", adding: "The cherry on the cake was the sky [as] it was a stunning canvas of pink and blue illuminating the spectacular."

Sarah Vickers who lives on Caughall Road said she has lived in Upton almost all of her life and does not recall ever seeing a murmuration so close.

The 59-year-old said she was thrilled to see the display from her doorstep on 22 February.

"I never expected to see that here, so near surburbia," she added.

"I was so pleased.

"It is amazing how the birds don't collide."

Mr Cunningham said it was fantastic to see "one of nature's amazing spectacles right in front of your eyes".

He said he was thrilled to capture the footage and intended to show it to the students he works with to "demonstrate that amazing wildlife can be found right on your doorstep".

"It's very accessible - and we captured it on a mobile phone," he said.

He added that the only downside was that many locals had their vehicles covered in bird "poo".

Ruby Merriman, the zoo's estate biodiversity manager, said the starlings would have probably been feeding on its habitats, such as reed beds, wetlands and woodlands, before the spectacle took place.

"The murmuration was so close to our estate, closer than ever, and hopefully with our big plans to improve our habitats even more I am hoping they will be over the zoo in the future," she said.

The 33-year-old said it was "one of the wonders of the natural world".

"It is one of the best spectacles we can see in the UK.

"Their agility and ability to avoid predators is breathtaking."

She said the dominate theory behind murmurations was that the formations allowed the birds to avoid predators as they come to roost, using "safety in numbers" by joining up in tight-knit groups.

She added that the video appeared to show the starlings had been successful as the peregrine falcon was not seen to get any of the birds.

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