Birds across Britain were thrown into confusion on Wednesday evening as a rare solar eclipse darkened the skies, causing flocks to fly chaotically and others to fall eerily silent.
The celestial event saw the moon move across the face of the sun, blocking out more than 90 per cent of its light over London at its peak and prompting millions of people nationwide to watch the darkening sky.
Witnesses across the country shared videos online showing large flocks of birds scattering erratically as daylight vanished, while other clips captured animals suddenly falling quiet during the event. The peculiar scenes prompted viewers to wonder whether the animals realised something extraordinary was taking place.
In Cornwall, on the south-western peninsula of England, one resident noted that "the birds were definitely spooked!" Another social media user reported that "the solar eclipse has all the birds in my local area PANICKED," while a third observer noted a "massive flock of crows" suddenly appearing in the sky. One observer sharing video of birds flying in a random pattern overhead stated that "the birds knew something was happening," while another asked: "Has anyone noticed the birds acting strangely?"
Social media reactions to strange bird behavior
Across Britain, millions of people took to the streets to marvel at the once-in-a-generation eclipse. Crowds gathered at Glastonbury in Somerset, while spectators at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, a major international track and field event, paused to look skyward. In a packed park in London, the UK capital, one spectator was seen using a kitchen colander to project and view the eclipse.
The sudden change in light was accompanied by an eerie drop in daylight and a noticeable chill across Britain. The country had been sweltering in its fifth heatwave of the year with temperatures reaching 30C, but an eerie yet welcome chill descended as the moon blocked out the unrelenting heat at Northala Fields, a public park in West London.
How solar eclipses disrupt bird routines
While the reaction of the birds appeared unusual, experts explain that animals are highly attuned to changes in light and use the rising and setting of the sun to regulate their daily routines. Dr Kristina Paradowski, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, explained: "Some animals rely even more heavily on light cues; birds are one example."
Reports from eclipse watchers confirmed daytime birds stopping their calls, changing flight patterns, or settling down as the sky darkened. Wildlife experts note that the effect is driven largely by sudden changes in light and temperature rather than birds sensing the astronomical event itself. To a bird, the sudden disappearance of the sun functions much like nature's alarm clock announcing that night has arrived early.
Scientific research on wildlife during eclipses
The disruption caused by solar eclipses on wildlife is well documented by researchers. A previous study published in the peer-reviewed journal Science examined bird behaviour during the 2024 solar eclipse and found that more than half of wild bird species changed their behaviour during the 2024 solar eclipse.
Researchers in that study discovered that many birds responded to the sudden darkness as though night had fallen. Some species even launched into a full dawn chorus after the eclipse ended, despite the temporary "night" lasting only a few minutes. The findings suggest that rapid changes in sunlight can temporarily disrupt the normal biological rhythms of birds.
