VIDEO: Watch as thousands of starlings perform aerial spectacular over Meath

Fireworks lit up the sky on New Year's Eve but it wasn't the only spectacular aerial sight to be seen as 2018 came to a close on Monday. 

Thousands of birds, believed to be starlings, took to the air over Nobber in a mesmerising display that was captured on camera by teenager Iwona GÅ‚uchowska (17) and her boyfriend Jakob.

The birds took to the air above the GAA field in Nobber for over 10 minutes on Monday afternoon. 

"I was babysitting for a friend and we were about to go for a walk over to the GAA pitch when we just saw the birds and I grabbed the phone and started recording, it was just amazing", explained Iwona. The reactions of the excited children she was minding are clearly heard on the video.

The dazzling display known as a murmuration occurs when huge flocks of starlings in migration form shape-shifting flight patterns and is a truly amazing wonder to behold.

According to Royal Society for the Protection of Birds murmurations are basically a mass aerial stunt - thousands of birds all swooping and diving in unison. 

"We think that starlings do it for many reasons. Grouping together offers safety in numbers – predators such as peregrine falcons find it hard to target one bird in the middle of a hypnotising flock of thousands.

"They also gather to keep warm at night and to exchange information, such as good feeding areas. 

"They gather over their roosting site, and perform their wheeling stunts before they roost for the night."

Did you spot the spectacular sight? Send us on any videos or pics you may have taken news@meathchronicle.ie