The fascinating flight show of starlings

Like a dance in the sky: A flock of starlings soars over a landfill site near Beersheba in Israel. With their short wings, the birds can perform the tightest of turns ― hardly any other bird species can boast such daring flight maneuvers. The flocks of thousands of birds often form unusual formations. This makes the starlings stars for nature fans and photographers.

What seems so effortless is actually a powerful cognitive feat: The synchronized, wave-like movements of a flock are created by each bird within the flock synching up with up to seven birds in its environment. It always tries to maintain the same position relative to these birds in flight ― about one wingspan apart.

Starlings don`t need a leader: If one bird changes its flight direction, all the others gradually adapt, which is why the formation of a flock is constantly changing. Starlings are sociable birds that live in large groups all year round and only separate during the nesting season in spring. During this time, their otherwise dark plumage shimmers in shades of purple-green.

These birds over Israel have a long journey behind them: They cover up to 2000 kilometers (1,242 miles) on their way to their wintering grounds from northern and central Europe to northwest Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The birds spend the months from October to January in the warmer climes.

Flocks reach their largest numbers in September and October, before they fly off to their wintering grounds. Flocking is primarily a defense strategy against attacks by birds of prey: If a bird of prey tries to take a starling, the flock surrounds and harasses the attacker until it has no more room to flap its wings. The bird of prey then simply falls out of the flock.

Meeting point Israel: Other migratory birds heading for even more distant wintering grounds land in Israel for a stopover ― like this stork, which does not seem to be bothered by the throng of small starlings around it. In fact, it often happens that other bird species hide in the large flocks of starlings to protect themselves from attackers.

Flying in a flock not only offers protection from birds of prey, but also saves energy: By flapping their wings, the birds create air vortices that give other flock members a boost. Starlings regularly change places on long journeys ― this flock over Beersheva has expanded into a long serpentine form.

Particularly popular: Rome is one of the preferred wintering grounds for starlings. This can be quite a nuisance for humans in the Italian capital: Flocks of often more than a million birds create a deafening din. And many Romans are also annoyed by the unavoidable droppings of the guests from the north.

However, the birds don't stay in the south for long. Starlings head north again as early as the beginning of February ― they are among the earliest returnees among migratory birds. And some don't even set off: With milder winters, more and more starlings are spending the winter in relatively warm regions of western Europe, for example the Rhine Valley or here in Brighton in the south of England.

Starlings not only live in the wild, but are also permanent guests in parks and gardens. But the birds' presence is deceptive: Although starlings are still one of the most common bird species in Europe, their numbers are declining. Since the early 1990s, the starling population has shrunk by more than a third.

Intensive farming is restricting the starlings' habitat. Because old trees are being felled more frequently, there are not enough spaces for the birds to build their nests. And the food supply is dwindling: Starlings can no longer find enough worms and insects. As a result, this common bird could disappear from people's everyday lives; in Germany it's already on the Red List of Threatened Species.