Wadden Sea
The dance begins: starlings gather for a great spectacle
Thousands of starlings fly in a flock over the meadows at Lake Ruttebüller in the German-Danish border area. photo
© Carsten Rehder/dpa
In spring and autumn, a fantastic natural spectacle can be observed in the German-Danish border region. Hundreds of thousands of starlings perform their unique “ballet” here – but why does this phenomenon happen?
It is a natural phenomenon that occurs every year Spring and autumn in the Wadden Sea region: Hundreds of thousands of starlings gather around Tønder and Süderlügum on the way from their breeding areas in the north to their winter quarters in southern climes.
They fly in huge flocks in ever new formations and swirling patterns, sometimes even blocking out the sun. This is where the natural spectacle gets its name: “Black Sun” or “Sort sol”, as it is called in Danish.
“The starlings choose the Wadden Sea as a feeding station because there are large pastures here,” says the website of the Danish Wadden Sea National Park. The meadows provide an ideal habitat for various insects popular with starlings.
Danish Wadden Sea National Park to Sort Sol