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Frame from amazing starlings murmuration (full HD) -www.keepturningleft.co.uk Plays via YouTube's privacy-enhanced embed

amazing starlings murmuration (full HD) -www.keepturningleft.co.uk

raisingmaggie
Other
YouTube
1 HN user recommended this video1 month2013–2022 score 1
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026

Cited as a benchmark for leaderless swarm behavior that robots and drones could aim to match.

Footage of a huge flock of starlings performing a murmuration, filmed by wildlife cameraman Dylan Winter. The flock moves in tightly coordinated shapes.

“when drones can do this, drones will be cool” (HN, 2015)

1 recommendations · 3 citations · Other

4 Hacker News comments

From the HN archive; up to 20 kept per video, favoring different commenters. Recommendations first.

@pflanze Jun 2022 Recommends
on HN thread The mesmerising murmurations of Europe’s starlings
One with higher quality (not the same recording): [this video] . Youtube also refers to some other nice recordings from that one. (There's also a video with intermediate quality, and otherwise distracting parts, but amazing formations too: [link] / [link] ) Sadly I haven't found one with (just) original sound (no music).
Higher-quality starling murmuration recording

Citations, criticism and jokes

@lutusp Sep 2013 Cites it
on HN thread Professor Develops 'Brain' for Robots
> But why is there a "leader" to begin with? In swarms of birds the older birds do have some specific roles, but real "leaders" seem to me a brittle approach. I agree, and it seems nature agrees. Anyone who think a leader is required should watch a flight of a thousand starlings maneuver adeptly without collisions, a swarm of bees or ants carry out their duties without any command hierarchy, or a modern government rob the people blind with nary a collision between the overwhelming number of redundant departments. [this video] (starlings in flight)
Starlings flying without a leader as an example
@sounds Feb 2015 Cites it
on HN thread A girl who gets gifts from birds
As someone who has worked a LOT with drones of all form factors (quad copters, propeller drones, battery and dead dinosaur-fueled), when drones can do this, drones will be cool: [this video] Context: [link]
Benchmark for impressive drone swarm behavior
@jbob2000 Jun 2018 Cites it
on HN thread Colorado Lawmakers Seek to Make Flying Drones Over Wildfires a Felony
If you manage to develop a drone swarm system that drops things, the last thing it will be used for is fighting fires. I'm waiting for someone to develop drones that swarm like starlings ( [this video] ). You could take down an entire battlegroup with a couple thousand suicide drones.
Example of swarming behavior drones could mimic

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