murmurations
Birds swirling together
Murmurations are the spectacular aerial displays created when large flocks of starlings move in fluid, shifting patterns across the sky.
The birds wheel and pivot in near-perfect synchronization, forming shapes that pulse and transform: We pulled over to watch the murmuration at dusk.
The word comes from murmur—the collective wingbeats and calls create a soft rushing sound.
By extension, murmuration can mean any murmuring or the act of murmuring, though these uses are rare.
Temporal coordination
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
- unityWholeness through cohesion
- coherenceLogical internal consistency
- alignmentCorrect relative positioning
unison · harmony · choreography · graceful · flow · ripple · surge · pulse
Rhythmic rise and fall
- swoopRapid downward plunge
- aerialElevated, or signal-catcher
- patternsRecurring arrangements or designs
- spectacleVisually striking event
roosting · fluidity · phenomenon · display · wonder · flocking · cohesion · shapeshifting
synchrony
Temporal coordination
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
- unityWholeness through cohesion
- coherenceLogical internal consistency
alignment · unison · harmony · choreography · graceful · flow · ripple · surge · pulse · oscillation
undulation
Rhythmic rise and fall
- swoopRapid downward plunge
- aerialElevated, or signal-catcher
- patternsRecurring arrangements or designs
spectacle · roosting · fluidity · phenomenon · display · wonder · flocking · cohesion · shapeshifting · pulsing
mass
Quantity of matter
- clusterGathered group nearby
- congregationAssembled group of worshippers
- gatheringCollection of people meeting
throng · multitude · assembly · aggregation · mob · horde · cloud · dense · shifting · amorphous
whisper
Speech without full voice
drone · susurrus · soft · low · indistinct · voices · crowd · undertone · babble · chatter