Starling Murmuration Forms a Festive Shape in the Skies Above West Yorkshire

Is it just me, or does it seem more people are getting in the Christmas spirit this year? Well, if this photo captured by West Yorkshire photographer Ed Sykes says anything about where Mother Nature stands on that front, I’d say it’s pretty clear.

The question is, do you think this photo is real or fake?

According to The Yorkshire Post, Ed Sykes was set up in one of his favorite locations to snap photos of birds on Saturday evening, when a large flock of Starlings swooped in just as the sun was setting. The birds dazzled overhead for several minutes, and then much to Ed’s surprise, he noticed the murmuration started to look vaguely familiar – and festive!

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Fox News shared the photo on their Instagram, which reveals a cloud of birds in the shape of a massive Christmas stocking floating above the treeline at a protected nature reserve in Castleford, England.

Why do birds fly in Murmuration?

A murmuration of starlings is an amazing sight – a swooping mass of thousands of birds whirling in the sky above. It’s basically a mass aerial stunt – thousands of birds all swooping and diving in unison like shape-shifting clouds.

But why do they fly that way?

Well, ornithologists have determined starlings display this ‘swarming’ behavior for multiple reasons. Grouping together makes the birds much harder to target for would-be predators, but it also helps keep them warm at night and offers a minute or two to exchange any relevant information going around the bird world.

You know, like any good feeding areas that are close by.

Ed later stated how he’s “visited the site to photograph the starlings numerous times over the past couple of weeks,” The Yorkshire Post reported.

“As we move into December and build up towards Christmas, it’s great to capture such an opportune photo.”

OutdoorHub Editor: Keenan Crow

Keenan Crow is an outdoor writer who graduated from Central Michigan University with a degree in journalism and creative writing. He has been writing for OutdoorHub for nearly five years, but anybody he is close with will tell you he has been telling hunting stories for far longer. He uses his experiences outdoors to write about things he loves - bow hunting, fishing, upland hunting, shed hunting, turkey hunting, waterfowl hunting, dog training, shotguns, ATVs and the outdoor lifestyle he lives in his home state of Michigan. Outside of hunting/fishing, he also loves to cook - especially with wild game - play golf and go on hikes with his yellow lab, Stella.