How to photograph a starling murmuration this winter

Starling murmurations happen from November to February, around dusk, above large roost sites such as reedbeds, piers and coastal marshes. That is the RSPB's own summary, and it is most of what you need to plan a trip. Arrive well before sunset, stand where the sky behind the roost is brightest, and choose between a fast shutter speed that shows individual birds and a slow one that turns the flock into flowing smoke.

Why the flocks grow in winter

Starlings live in the UK all year, but their numbers rise in winter as birds arrive from Scandinavia and northern and central Europe, according to the RSPB. These visitors join resident birds at communal roosts, and the swirling flights before they settle are the murmurations people travel to see.

It is worth knowing that the spectacle hides a worrying trend. The RSPB lists the starling on the UK Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern, with numbers down 57% between 1995 and 2023. A sky full of birds can give the opposite impression, which is a good reason to keep a respectful distance and avoid disturbing roosts.

Finding a murmuration near you

Many nature reserves with reedbeds host winter roosts, and the RSPB's December nature calendar mentions murmurations among the winter highlights at its larger reserves. Seaside piers in some towns have also become well known for them. Roost sites can shift during the season, so check the reserve's recent sightings page or social posts on the day before you set out.

Ask local birders where the birds have been gathering that week. Staff and volunteers at reserves are usually happy to point you to the best viewing spot, which will often be a path edge or platform with an open view west.

Arrive early, then wait

Birds start arriving in small groups well before the main display, and the shapes in the sky can change minute by minute. Get there at least half an hour before sunset so you can find a spot, set up and watch which direction the flocks are coming from. Some evenings build to a long display; others fizzle and the birds drop straight into the reeds. There is no way to know in advance, so build in time for a second visit.

Clear or partly cloudy evenings give the strongest sky colour behind the birds. A completely grey evening still works for dark silhouettes, but the pictures are moodier and more monochrome.

Two ways to shoot the flock

Freeze it

A fast shutter speed shows the flock as thousands of distinct dots, with the shape crisp against the sky. As the light fades you will need to open the aperture and raise the ISO to keep the shutter fast. Noise is less of a problem than you might fear because the birds are dark and the sky is smooth; you can tidy it slightly in editing.

Blur it

A slower shutter speed, ranging from a fraction of a second to about a second, smears the movement into soft trails that look like smoke or ink. You need a tripod for this, and it works best when the flock is dense and turning. Take bursts, because the shape changes so quickly that only a few frames will have the right swirl.

Try both on the same evening. The light usually decides for you: fast shutter speeds early on, slower ones once the sun has gone.

Lenses, phones and framing

You do not need a long telephoto. A standard zoom at its longer end is often perfect because murmurations can fill a large part of the sky, and a wider view lets you include reeds, the pier or the horizon for scale. A longer lens is useful when the flock is distant or when you want to isolate a single dense shape.

Phones manage surprisingly well while there is still light in the sky. Use video as well as stills: a short clip of a murmuration is often more satisfying than any single frame, and you can pull a still from it later. Lock the focus at a distance so the phone does not hunt as the flock moves.

Composition here is about the shape and the space around it. Leave room in the direction the flock is moving. A small dark cloud of birds in a big orange sky, placed off-centre, often has more drama than a frame filled edge to edge. Our piece on the rule of thirds has more on balancing a strong subject against empty space.

Exposure for silhouettes

Expose for the sky, not the birds. If the camera brightens the scene to show feather detail, the sunset washes out and the birds turn grey. Dial in negative exposure compensation until the sky looks as rich as it does to your eye and the flock reads as solid black. On a phone, tap on the brightest part of the sky and pull the exposure down. Our guide to golden hour light in Britain covers protecting bright skies in more detail.

Being a good visitor

Keep to paths and viewing areas, use a torch only when you need it, and switch off the camera's focus beep. The roost is where the birds spend a long, cold night, so do not try to flush them for a better picture or move closer once they have settled. Dress warmly; the most spectacular displays tend to happen on cold, still evenings, and standing still in a fen at dusk is colder than any walk.