The attack of a bird of prey, thought to be a peregrine falcon, on a swirling murmuration of starlings has been caught on camera by Alex Cunningham in Upton, Cheshire, near Chester Zoo.
Cunningham had gone to the urban area with his colleague Mayukh Chatterjee to see the starling murmuration – one of the UK’s best wildlife spectacles.
"As we drove past Chester Zoo the flock came into view and we were delighted to see that the sky was a stunning canvas of pink and blue, we couldn’t have chosen a better evening,” says Cunningham, the Schools Engagement Officer at Chester Zoo.
"The murmuration was really being put to the test, as soaring through the flock was what looked like the silhouette of a young peregrine falcon.
"Sighting the world’s fastest animal is always a special moment but to see this falcon actively hunting through a murmuration will always make this one of my top wildlife watching moments."
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On winter evenings, starling flock together in mesmerising patterns, before settling into their roosting spot for the night.
It’s thought that the swirling and size of the flocks confuses potential predators – and it seems to have worked in this case, as the bird of prey didn’t seem to be successful in its hunt.
Image and video credit: Alex Cunningham & Mayukh Chatterjee
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