Leicestershire Village Under Siege From Thousands of Starlings

A village in Leicestershire deals with many starlings. Residents say the birds are like “bombing raids.” Rearsby now struggles with constant bird droppings. The large flock flies twice daily; it reminds some people of the movie “The Birds.”

At first, locals enjoyed the birds at sunset. They thought the circling birds were beautiful, but quickly, the situation became a big problem. People must wash cars and windows every day. Some cover cars with sheets for protection.

Wildlife experts call it a rare event. The murmurations happened for two weeks. Some villagers lived there for decades, and they say they never saw anything like this.

Suzanne Mullins said it is hard to describe. She saw murmurations on TV before; seeing it in person feels spectacular. So many birds in one spot amaze her.

Mrs. Mullins said the birds explode from the trees, and that there is a lot of bird poo. Everyone cleans their cars each morning. The patio has bird droppings; they keep bombing the village.

Gathering birds look spooky, she says. The film “The Birds” traumatized her, so she avoids looking up too much. She worries about getting bird droppings in her eye.

Andy Neilson works for the Wildlife Trust. He says a big murmuration is uncommon, and that this event is likely rare for Rearsby residents.

One villager found them mesmerizing at first. However, the bird mess became a big issue. Bird droppings damage cars a lot, and cleaning them off is hard work. He will be happy when the birds leave.