Every year around this time, videos pour onto the web of a truly breathtaking performance, put on by some of nature's most talented singers and - apparently- dancers.
We are all familiar with how flocks of birds often congregate in the skies above us, and we may have even seen strange shapes appear in their gatherings, but that is nothing compared to the starlings mating display.
Called a murmuration, starlings have been captivating audiences in the UK for years, but it wasn't until recently that scientists were able to pool their resources and figure out just how and, most importantly, why these birds create stunning wave-like patterns on our horizons.
There wasn't a lot of support to study their formations at first. Partly because not many people saw the value in the phenomenon, and also because the birds are seen as a pest to many who have to clean their cars up after them!
But as it turns out, the science behind it actually helps us understand a lot about our own world.
Read the full story on Shared.com
Photo: Shared.com