A great word - murmuration

@JudyEv (325264)

Rockingham, Australia

January 12, 2019 6:04pm CST

@xFiacre just wrote about a murmuration of starlings and I mentioned that Vince had recently used the word in relation to budgerigars. These are also called love birds and in the USA I think they’re called parakeets. They are a very popular cage bird and make good talkers. They are now available in a variety of colours but in the wild they are all green and yellow with dark markings and barring on the wings. I found this YouTube clip from BBC One’s Earthflight programme of a murmuration of budgies near Uluru in central Australia. It’s less than two minutes long but very interesting. I haven’t seen a murmuration of budgies but I’ve seen flocks of them in the wild. I’ve never been able to look at caged ones in quite the same way since although most seem to be happy enough in captivity. The photo is one we took of Uluru when we visited there a couple of years ago.

Budgerigars flying past Uluru and swarming (Narrated by David Tennant) - Earthflight - BBC One

www.youtube.com

SUBSCRIBE for more BBC highlights: https://bit.ly/2IXqEIn WATCH full programmes on BBC iPlayer https://bbc.in/2J18jYJ More about this programme: http://www.b...

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28 responses

@andriaperry (116860)

• Anniston, Alabama

13 Jan 19

I feel sorry for caged birds.

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@TheHorse (205134)

• Walnut Creek, California

16 Jan 19

I had one for eight years and I feel safe in saying he enjoyed his life. But I did let him fly around my room a lot. He would make a nest in my hair or just sit on my shoulder while I studied.

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

17 Jan 19

@TheHorse So that's nice but some spend their lives in a tiny cage.

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jan 19

When you see the budgies flying wild, it gives a different perspective but as I said, the caged ones mostly seem happy.

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@RasmaSandra (73167)

• Daytona Beach, Florida

13 Jan 19

Thanks for sharing that is fascinating. The word is kind of hard to pronounce but good to learn something new.

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jan 19

Some aboriginal names are very hard to say and to remember but Uluru is one of the easier ones.

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@FourWalls (61898)

• United States

13 Jan 19

Wow, what a lot of birds!!!!! Absolutely beautiful, too!!! I love how the kangaroos look completely unconcerned (they’ve obviously never seen that Hitchcock movie!) while all the birds fly around. “Murmuration,” isn’t that an R.E.M. album?

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@FourWalls (61898)

• United States

13 Jan 19

@JudyEv — they were just a little band that never amounted to anything.....

R.E.M. - Losing My Religion (Perfect Square '04)

© 2011 WMG Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982- 2011, the definitive R.E.M. greatest hits collection! Get it: Amazon: http://amzn.to/vBDlg5...

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jan 19

R.E.M album? Who are they again?

And I'm afraid I have no idea.

I'd like to know if there were any collisions during all that flying - and if any kids got lost!

2 people like this

@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jan 19

@FourWalls I had actually heard of R.E.M. but don't know the album. I've heard the song you put up.

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@jstory07 (134235)

• Roseburg, Oregon

13 Jan 19

It does seem like there are less birds flying around.

4 people like this

@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jan 19

I haven't noticed any difference here.

2 people like this

@LadyDuck (457314)

• Switzerland

13 Jan 19

Incredible video. I loved to watch all those free birds enjoying freedom. They make a loud noise even when they move all together from the ground.

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@LadyDuck (457314)

• Switzerland

13 Jan 19

@JudyEv They are cute birds and they surely love to chatter among themselves.

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jan 19

There are just so many of them isn't there? And they do chatter a lot among themselves.

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@JohnRoberts (109857)

• Los Angeles, California

13 Jan 19

I will always say Ayers Rock.

6 people like this

@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jan 19

At least Uluru is easier to say than Kata Tjuta which is what we're supposed to call the Olgas.

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@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

16 Jan 19

This a wonderful video Judy. I could watch it again and again. You know, I've never considered that budgies were born to fly free.

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@valmnz (17099)

• New Zealand

16 Jan 19

@JudyEv so are they both native to Australia?

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

16 Jan 19

They seem happy enough in cages though don't they? We saw zebra finches in the wild near Uluru too.

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

16 Jan 19

@valmnz As far as I'm aware all the little finches are. We have seen firetail finches at our bird bath. I thought I had a photo of them but I can't find it. It seems there are 20 odd finch species in Australia. Who'd a thought?

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@Shiva49 (26187)

• Singapore

13 Jan 19

Lovely video, nature is always alluring and resplendent. So many of them finding harmony and coexistence - siva

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@ramapo17 (30441)

• Melbourne, Florida

13 Apr 19

@JudyEv You are right. Wildlife is so much better than some of the human lives we have see lately.

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jan 19

We could learn a lot from watching wildlife more although sometimes there is violence in their world too.

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@josie_ (9763)

• Philippines

13 Jan 19

It would have been an awesome experience watching that swarm of birds in the wilds. I hope they continue to do so in the future despite climate change that might affect the environment and their food supply.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jan 19

Hopefully they'll be around for decades yet. How sad it would be if they disappeared.

2 people like this

@ilocosboy (45157)

• Philippines

13 Jan 19

It would be amazing to watch these birds flocking and in amazing formations.

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jan 19

You'd wonder how there could be so many of them.

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@responsiveme (22926)

• India

13 Jan 19

That is an awesome photo

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jan 19

Thanks. It is a pretty magical place.

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Swayamsiddha Dash

@Swayamsiddha (4358)

• New Delhi, India

13 Jan 19

Oh so this is how love birds look in a video!!!

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jan 19

They look very pretty when they are flying free.

@CarolDM (203454)

• Nashville, Tennessee

13 Jan 19

What a cool clip you have shared. I love all kinds of birds.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jan 19

That's a huge number of birds isn't it? I'm glad you enjoyed it.

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@CarolDM (203454)

• Nashville, Tennessee

13 Jan 19

@JudyEv Yes, I would love to be there in person.

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@leny34 (8506)

• Sidoarjo, Indonesia

13 Jan 19

yes that is a good photo that you have, the scenery is really very beautiful

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jan 19

I hope we are able to go back one day. There is such a lot to see there.

@popciclecold (35024)

• United States

14 Jan 19

That's the first time I saw them in the wild. Amazing. Thanks for sharing.

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@popciclecold (35024)

• United States

15 Jan 19

@JudyEv I would like to know that too, never seen that many at one time. I was like wow.

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jan 19

I wonder where they all come from. There are so many of them.

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Jan 19

@popciclecold There are so many they just about darken the sky.

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@1hopefulman (45123)

• Canada

13 Jan 19

Loved the video! An amazing aerial display.

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@1hopefulman (45123)

• Canada

14 Jan 19

@JudyEv Do you think there are ny collisions with millions of birds flying so closely together?

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jan 19

It's like they are choreographed in great swirling patterns.

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jan 19

@1hopefulman You'd think there would have to be wouldn't you?

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@Tampa_girl7 (48865)

• United States

13 Jan 19

This is a new word to me

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jan 19

It has a nice 'murmur' to it doesn't it? I hadn't come across it before either.

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@ramapo17 (30441)

• Melbourne, Florida

11 Apr 19

This is what I love about this site. I always learn something I never knew. Thanks for the information.

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@ramapo17 (30441)

• Melbourne, Florida

13 Apr 19

@JudyEv Hahaha, I will send you a snow ball the next time I see some snow.

I think being in a snow storm or drifts of snow makes things so special and happy. (unless of course you are shoveling it to get the car out).

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Apr 19

@ramapo17 I've read a lot about what a nuisance it is.

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 Apr 19

I've learnt a heap here too - about all sorts of things, but mostly about snow. Haha.

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@noni1959 (9877)

• United States

13 Jan 19

Very interesting share. Wow neat video. Thank you.

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jan 19

The video is incredible. I wonder if there were any collisions.

@LowRiderX (22907)

• Serbia

26 Mar 19

I've never been to Australia, but I know some dear people who live in Australia, this mountain in the picture is known to me, is that a movie may not have been filmed there?

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Mar 19

It probably appears in quite a few movies. It is Uluru or Ayres Rock and is a monolith in the centre of Australia. In what state do your friends live?

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@JudyEv (325264)

• Rockingham, Australia

28 Mar 19

@LowRiderX That's the other side of Australia to me but it's a very beautiful city.

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@LowRiderX (22907)

• Serbia

27 Mar 19

@JudyEv Sydney

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