Starling Murmuration at Aberystwyth Pier in Wales 2024-2025

The seaside town of Aberystwyth doubles as a university town, which comes with being home to Aberystwyth University. Situated in Ceredigion on the west of Wales, the town is one of the prime spots to witness a mesmerizing starling murmuration, during which hundreds of starlings flock together and form a uniform cloud. This seaside town, which serves as a home to 50,000 starlings every winter, has a population of approximately 15,000 townspeople. Half of them are students of Aberystwyth University.

Murmuration Process

Starlings don't perform murmuration until dusk, while during the daytime, the birds scatter in all directions to feed, often kilometers off their roosting ground. The spectacle begins at twilight—at first, it's a small flock of birds, which grows bigger and bigger until it transforms into a huge cloud of starlings. They dance in the sky for a while, weaving around in various shapes, changing directions and their position in the flock. For starlings, being at the fringes of the flock means exposing themselves to predators, which causes them to move around constantly. Finally, the bird mass descends to roost under the pier.

Starling Species

Starlings belong to the same Passerine bird group as sparrows and over half of all bird species. The name comes from Sturnus, the genus of starlings and means "little star", most likely a reference to the shape of the bird in flight. The bird family consists of 128 species, with many native to Asia, North America, Africa, and Europe. The common starling is the most frequented bird in European countries and regions, including Wales. With black but glossy feathers reflecting green and purple sheen, the birds can be easily spotted in one's garden.

Interestingly, Aberystwyth bird gathering involves both the local population of starlings and some 10,000 migratory birds from Northern Europe, which are fine with Wales' climate and, therefore, abandon the majority, which continues their journey to Southern Europe.

Best Time to See Starlings Murmurate

While starlings gather in groups throughout most of the year, they're most prone to flocking together during autumn and winter. Wales' most striking natural phenomenon is observed over Aberystwyth Pier annually between November and February. The birds soar into the sky in the early evening, approximately an hour before sunset.

Starling Murmuration Locations

While it seems like a miracle that these birds chose Royal Pier in Aberystwyth to be their roosting point, there is a scientific explanation for their behavior. Starlings choose sheltered places, safe from severe weather conditions and concealed from predators' sight. Some of the roosting spots include forests, cliffs, buildings, and piers. Aberystwyth Pier is one of the roosting grounds in Wales, popular among tourists, but Brighton Pier in England and Gretna Green in Scotland offer similar experiences, boasting colonies of wintering starlings.

Another great spot to witness starling murmuration is the Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve in Wales, 39 miles (62 km) from Aberystwyth Pier. The reserve is free to enter and is open all year-round. The Starlings in the UK website provides the most up-to-date information on various roosting grounds in the British Isles, where this phenomenon takes place.

Why Starling Murmuration Happens

Scientists explain this bizarre but beautiful behavior, named starling murmuration, as a way for the birds to protect themselves from predators. Sparrowhawk and falcons pose the main threat to starlings. Large flock of birds both scares away potential danger due to the sheer size and scale of the sight, and makes each starling unapproachable and impossible to catch. At the same time, communal roosting allows them to keep warm during cool winter nights. It's also said that starling murmuration serves as an invitation for other starlings nearby to join the flock and roost together.

Tips on Watching Murmuration

While starling murmuration takes place nearly every day during the autumn and winter seasons, consider making your visit on a day with clear weather, as more birds tend to gather during favorable weather. We also suggest you dress warmly and grab a cup of coffee either from home or at any of the nearby cafes. It's not recommended to stand close to the pier itself since that's where the main spectacle occurs. If you're bringing food, be sure to cover it up or store it somewhere else to avoid any bird droppings.