Murmuration
A murmuration is a flock of starlings, especially one performing the dense, shape-shifting aerial displays seen at dusk.
Full definition of Murmuration →:: COMPARE ::
MurmurationvsSwarm
The short answer
Both are collective motion, but murmuration names a specific species-and-behaviour pairing — starlings at roost — with a measured seven-neighbour topological rule behind it. 'Swarm' is a generic descriptor implying no particular structure.
Side by side
| Aspect | Murmuration | Swarm |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Starlings | Any |
| Known rule | ~7 neighbours | Unspecified |
| Correlation | Scale-free | Varies |
| Is a | Collective noun | Description |
What each one means
Swarm
The contrast above sets out how Swarm differs from Murmuration on the points that actually matter.