Where to see starling murmurations in your campervan this winter

Spring and summer might seem to be the obvious time to get out and about in your campervan, but it's good to remember that winter is also full of incredible wonders.

What about a trip to the Cairngorms, the Brecon Beacons, or the Peak District to see the snow settling on the highest peaks? Or what could be nicer than pootling around the Cotswolds, to see the uplands clad in frost, and cosy lights in the windows of the region's many beautiful towns and villages?

One of the chief delights of winter in the UK, though, comes from one of our commonest garden birds. Yes, the seasonal murmuration of starlings as they head to their roosting grounds each winter evening is something to be experienced by everyone.

The sight of thousands – sometimes tens of thousands – of these avian daredevils swooping around the evening sky in perfect formation is, quite simply, a jaw-dropping spectacle. And all you need to experience it is your campervan (duly equipped with up-to-date campervan cover) and some warm clothes. A pair of binoculars is a nice optional extra if you want to zoom in on the detail but, as a starling murmuration is really about the bigger picture, they definitely aren't essential.

So far, so wonderful. But let's dial back a moment and ask: what exactly is a starling murmuration? And why do these birds take part in this awesome group spectacle every evening, during the very coldest months of the year?

After that, we'll look at some of the best places around the UK to experience this breathtaking feat of synchronised flight. They're all places you can reach easily in your campervan: so, set the sat nav (or pore over the road atlas), pack some warm clothes, check your campervan insurance is ready for your road trip, and away you go. Whether you’re a keen bird watcher or not, it’s still a fascinating sight to behold.

What exactly is a starling murmuration?

A murmuration is the winter phenomenon of vast flocks of starlings – often numbering well into the tens of thousands – congregating at dusk and flying around in mesmerising patterns, before settling down to roost for the night.

These vast groupings of this common, Thrush-sized garden bird twist, turn and jack-knife around in the evening sky, creating incredible shapes that ripple and burst as the starlings slalom this way and that, obeying some extraordinary collective impulse to fly in exact synchronisation. The same phenomenon is often repeated in the mornings, as the starlings rise from their roosting grounds and take off for the day.

In fact, like many British birds, starlings have experienced a drop in numbers over the past few decades, with a variety of factors including urbanisation and farming techniques to blame. However, this hypnotic sight can still be seen at many locations around the UK.

Why do starlings do this?

So just why do starlings assemble in these enormous flocks at dusk and dawn – and how do they not crash into each other while performing these astonishing avian acrobatics?

Well, all the observations conducted to date seem to agree that the starlings come together in these enormous flocks in order to confuse and deter possible predators. A number of British birds of prey will hunt down starlings: these include the sparrowhawk, the breathtakingly fast peregrine falcon and the small and incredibly nimble hobby, which can more or less match the starling turn for turn.

Starlings are intelligent birds (as you will have realised, if you've ever heard their very accurate mimicry of other birds!), and have extremely fast reaction times. This means that they can make split-second changes in their flight patterns. It seems that being able to do this in a huge flock is a great way to confuse predators. Safety in numbers, in short.

If we think of it mathematically, the more starlings come together in one of these vast 'superflocks', the smaller the chance of any individual bird being picked off by a predator. It even appears that individual starlings can manoeuvre around the vast gathering, and try to spend as little time as possible right on the edge of the flock, where they'd be in most danger of being snaffled up by that hawk or falcon. Clever stuff.

However, it seems that evading predators may not be the only reason that starlings come together in these immense flocks. They also do it to keep warm at night, and even to exchange information – on the best local feeding areas, for example.

In fact, starlings are gregarious birds all year round – they like to be in groups or flocks. You'll probably have noticed groups perched on wires or roofs in your neighbourhood. It's in winter, however, when they come together in the largest numbers – partly for the reasons we've outlined above, and partly because, at this time of year, the British starling population is boosted by large numbers of migrant birds arriving from colder parts of central and northern Europe. They are tempted here by both the milder temperatures and the easier access to food – and they bolster our native starling numbers considerably.

When can you see starling murmurations in your campervan?

The vast winter starling roosts typically start to form in November, although this date varies around the country according to weather and atmospheric conditions. Some flocks may start to assemble as early as September.

As autumn moves into winter, these flocks will grow, and the starling roosts can mount up into the tens of thousands. In fact, the biggest roosts can number up to 100,000 birds. A flock of that size truly is an awesome sight as it wheels around the cold winter evening sky.

And what is the best time of day to see them? That tends to be early evening, just before dusk. At this time, they will be starting their enormous flybys – but there will still be enough light in the sky to see them clearly without the need for any extra equipment.

Are any particular habitats favoured by these remarkably sociable and intelligent birds? Well, starlings tend to roost in areas that are not exposed to harsh weather or predators. Woodlands are popular starling roosting grounds: as are cliffs, reedbeds and buildings – including industrial structures.

Best places to see starlings

Here are some of the best places in the UK to see large numbers of starlings congregating on winter evenings. You might also want to take a look at the Starlings in the UK website, to find out where some large murmurations have been occurring recently. The website has a useful interactive map showing some of the largest current flocks around the country.

There are also some well-known starling murmuration sites in continental Europe. Just check that your campervan insurance covers you for overseas travel before you head across the Channel!

Some of these places will also make great picnic spots. Check out our brilliant list of the UK's best campervan-friendly picnic spots here.

Aberystwyth, Ceredigion

The starling roost that descends on the Welsh resort town of Aberystwyth each evening is well known – in fact there's a pub in town, The Starling Cloud, named after the phenomenon. The birds are drawn to Aberystwyth's handsome Victorian Royal Pier, under which they roost every night after performing their wonderful display of synchronised aerobatics.

West Pier, Brighton
Brighton's West Pier may now be derelict and unused by humans – but it has become a favourite roosting spot for the starlings of East Sussex. The pier's position on the coastline makes it a favoured spot for birds arriving from continental Europe, who join up with the local population to make up flocks of up to 40,000. These hybrid flocks fly around in wonderful formations, before settling down for the night on the pier.

Fen Drayton Lakes, Cambridgeshire
This East Anglian nature reserve was created from a former sand and gravel quarry next to some beautiful riverside meadows. From these elements, the RSPB created a beautiful wetland reserve that is home to otters, dragonflies, ducks, swans, geese – and a 9,000-strong starling murmuration over the lakes each evening.

Ham Wall, Somerset
Sited on the Somerset Levels, the RSPB's Ham Wall reserve is a brilliant place for birdwatching, with some wonderful reedbed species such as Marsh Harriers and bitterns in evidence. It's also justly famous for its huge starling murmurations. The birds look bewitching as they swivel and slalom above the reedbeds of the Avalon Marshes before coming down to roost among the reeds. A spectacular sight with Glastonbury Tor as the backdrop. Ham Wall even has a Starling Hotline you can call to see where the birds are likely to be roosting during your visit.

Albert Bridge, Belfast
There are some great starling murmurations to be seen in the UK's most urban environments. One particularly fine example is around Belfast's Albert Bridge. This one begins at dusk every evening and continues until darkness, when the birds take up their roosting positions underneath the late Victorian bridge.

Westhay Moor National Nature Reserve, Somerset
The nature reserve at Westhay (not far from Ham Wall, above) has been ingeniously converted from some former peat workings into a haven for wildlife. As well as that star bird of the reedbeds, the bittern, the Westhay reserve is also home to otters and beautiful banded demoiselle damselflies. Perhaps most impressively, it also hosts the osprey, a beautiful fish-hunting hawk which, until recently, was only found on certain Scottish reserves. And, on top of all this, it's become a favoured haunt for thousands of starlings, which swirl and swoop across the magical wetland landscape before bedding down for the night.

Gretna Green
This small Scottish village is most famous as a destination for eloping couples to tie the knot. Nowadays, it's arguably better known as the site of a large starling roost, with up to 50,000 birds converging on the area from the surrounding countryside.

Leighton Moss, Lancashire
Like Ham Wall, Leighton Moss is an RSPB reserve that's host to some wonderful reedbed and marshland species. You've a good chance of seeing bitterns, marsh harriers or bearded tits here – and, if you stick around into the early evening, you should be rewarded with the sight of a vast flock of starlings flying around the reserve before swooping down into the reeds for a good night's rest.

5 top tips for the best murmuration experience

• Weekends and the Christmas period will see large visitor numbers at some of these places we've mentioned, especially the RSPB reserves. Parking can be tricky so, if you can, try visiting outside these peak times. Remember to lock your campervan wherever you park – failure to secure the vehicle could result in damage or theft, and you may have invalidated any claim on your campervan insurance. If the worst does happen and your van is stolen, you can read our helpful tips on what to do next here.
• You could also try a morning visit, when the birds get up from the reedbeds in vast numbers. Typically happening half an hour before sunrise, this morning exodus can be just as spectacular as the evening performance.
  
  
• If you come to one of these wetland reserves in the middle of the day, you won't get such spectacular starling action. This is because the birds leave their marshland habitat during the daytime to go off and find feed. They can travel up to 20 miles from the roost site, so even a flock numbering into the tens of thousands can break down into far smaller numbers. The best time to catch them is from late afternoon onwards: murmurations can start up to an hour before sunset.
  
  
• If it’s cloudy, the birds will come in to roost earlier. If it's a fine, bright day, they are more likely to stay out on their feeding grounds for longer, and return a little later to the roost site.
  
  
• The exact roost sites can shift around. It's worth visiting the website for any particular reserve to find out exactly where the starlings are congregating at the moment.

Campervan insurance – for all your van-fuelled adventures

Whether it's a snow-clad mountain peak or a starling-filled nature reserve, we're sure you've got some exciting travel plans this winter. Wherever you're heading, make sure you get there safely – and are covered against any eventuality – with some specialist specialist campervan insurance.

Our campervan insurance can include benefits such as:

• Gas bottle and awning cover
• Windscreen cover
• Optional breakdown cover

Contact us today to arrange your campervan insurance.

Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.