麻豆社

Starling murmurations are a dramatic sight when hundreds of the birds swoop and dive in unison without flying into each other. There are a number of reasons why they do it - including protection from predators, to keep warm and to signal where good feeding areas are.

麻豆社 science correspondent Helen Briggs says researchers in Italy are trying to find out how it happens. Lead researcher Dr Antonio Culla of Universit脿 Sapienza in Rome says, "It's mutual imitation and speed control - each bird is able to control its speed in a way that large fluctuations are permitted."

Photo: Murmuration of starlings above the Scottish borders in the UK Credit: PA Wire