A Bit About The Birds In Napa

In the late summer there is often a congregation of blackbirds over the fields of Napa Valley. Included in the gathering are Red-winged, Tricolored and Brewer’s Blackbirds, some Cowbirds, and an occasional Great-tailed Grackle, but mostly European Starlings.

Standing on a bit of high ground one can see the sky’s over Vallejo, Sonoma and Napa counties at once. Over the plains and mountain ranges flock formations of Starlings are diving and rising, turning and twisting in unison and changing shape constantly. Separate flocks join together and then suddenly split apart making new patterns. At times the flights connect forming massive flocks.

The question soon comes to mind, “Who’s driving this bus?”

How do they avoid crashing into each other like humans on highways?

What governs the collective coordination is every man’s guess. But there are outside influences that alter the flight patterns and they are the Falcons. By observing the flocks with binoculars or better yet a scope you can see that many of the flocks have a falcon or two mixed in. They work the flocks like a sheepdog or as dolphins do when they round up a school of bait. In this case they often drive the starlings up to higher altitudes affecting the ever changing shape.

But with or without the Falcons the playful flight of the starlings goes on and their lovely formations undulate and surge like waves in the sky.