A starling murmuration is a breathtaking sight. Hundreds, even thousands, of birds take flight simultaneously, creating a billowing cloud that changes shape and direction as the animals move in a synchronized, ethereal dance.
But they're also kind of gross. Think about it. All those birds flying en masse, roosting and ... pooping together. It can be so bad that Rome drafted a special cleaning crew just to deal with the mess.
Yet that didn't stop Miguel Riopa from risking a splattering to get this amazing shot of a remarkable murmuration in Pontevedra, Spain. The Associated Press photographer learned of the murmuration on Twitter, and rushed out at sunset to track it down.
Despite the inevitable mess, he says, people in Pontevedra "prefer the show." And what a show it is.
