Explanation: murmuration – a rare and not fully explained natural phenomenon where hundreds or thousands of birds perform a peculiar dance in flight.

It is astonishing to see a flock of thousands of starlings changing shape in flight. The flock can contain up to 750,000 birds, scattering, meeting, scattering again, and... The flock breaks apart and merges once more. Flocks of birds constantly change direction, flying a few hundred metres high, then rapidly diving downwards and almost colliding with the ground. They look like swirling patches, forming droplets, figure-eights, columns and other shapes. Flocks of birds can move quickly; starlings fly at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour (80 kilometres per hour).

Common starlings, like other birds, form groups called flocks when looking for food or migrating. Murmuration is something very different. This special type of flock flight is named after the sound created by the wingbeats of thousands of birds and their quiet flight calls.