© 2026 New Hampshire Public Radio

Persons with disabilities who need assistance accessing NHPR's FCC public files, please contact us at publicfile@nhpr.org.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Big goals take a village. Help us reach 1,500 new and increasing sustainers to unlock $150K for local news!

Safety In Numbers -- Why Thousands Of Birds Move As One

A murmuration of starlings is seen in the sky as the sunset sets. (Scott Heppell/AP Photo)
A murmuration of starlings is seen in the sky as the sunset sets. (Scott Heppell/AP Photo)

Flocks of birds or schools of fish often group together in massive numbers, and move as though they are a single organism with one brain.

The behavior is called a murmuration, and scientists are trying to figure out how — and why — the animals do it.

Paige Pfleger (@PaigePfleger) of Here & Now contributor WHYY went to a landfill in Atlantic County, New Jersey, to observe the phenomenon firsthand.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.