Dose of Awe: A dance in the sky

Have you ever looked up at dusk and seen the sky come alive?

Birds sweep upward in waves, twist into columns, then pour downward again. The air hums with thousands of wingbeats.

It’s known as a murmuration, and many species of birds perform this incredible feat including the Red-Winged Blackbird in North America.

No leader directs the movement. Each bird watches its closest neighbours and adjusts in split seconds. 

By staying close and moving as one, they reduce each bird’s risk from predators. And for a few fleeting moments, the sky comes alive with a breathtaking performance made of thousands of tiny, winged dancers moving as one.