15th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Starling Murmuration

On our drive back home to Colorado, my Dad pulled into a gas station in Wilson, Kansas to fill up. They didn't have diesel, so we were about to move on when I saw 100's of thousands of birds in a field just off to the side. I asked my dad to park for a few minutes. Those few minutes ended up into 20 minutes of pure bliss as we watched the starling birds create tornadoes in the sky as they danced in incredible unison in a true live theater of murmuration.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 11.2017
Date Uploaded: 11.2017
Photo Location: Wilson, Kansas, United States of America
Camera: NIKON D850
Copyright: © Ryan Kost