Video: Stunning starling murmuration

 

Wednesday 30 January 2013

Print
A A A

Huge flocks of starlings have been spotted flying in synchronised formation in Israel.

The stunning and rare sight called murmuration is thought to take place when the birds want to exchange information about food and also to protect each other from predators. 

Voices

Going once... Only hours remain to bid in our charity auction

elephant appeal And you might snap up an original Damien Hirst
Arts & Entertainment
It is 40 years since Abba won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest

Abba appeal for your Money, Money, Money

music

Swedish stars ask fans for £195 pledges on crowd-funding website
Sport

Champions League: Napoli v Arsenal - LIVE!

sport
Arts & Entertainment
Peter Sellers, as President Merkin Muffley in Dr Stragelove, using the mythical red phone

Lost Peter Sellers films found in skip to be screened at festival

film
VIDEO
Arts & Entertainment
Carol singer: Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’, from 1994, is one of the last huge Christmas hits

Christmas hits: Jingle sells

musicAs Mariah Carey and Noddy Holder rake in the royalties from their classics, why there hasn't been a decent festive hit for 20 years?
Arts & Entertainment
Accidents happen: Diana Rigg in Tom Stoppard’s ‘Jumpers’ at the Old Vic in 1972

Not all right on the night

theatreAuthor Daniel Rosenthal recalls the mishaps that almost brought the curtain down on the likes of John Gielgud and Diana Rigg
News
A cafe in France has started charging extra to customers who forget their manners

The French café that charges more if you don't say 'please'

newsSometimes it pays to be nice
Life & Style
Food bank volunteers take a break in Rochdale run by Trussell Trust

Volunteering is for life, not just for Christmas

lifeFull of the joys and want to help your fellow man? December isn't the time to do it
Extras

10 best Christmas gifts for pet lovers

indybest
Life & Style
The wheel thing: a postman and his trusty companion

Is this the end of the road for the postman?

lifeAs the Royal Mail plans to phase out deliveries on two wheels, it's no wonder posties are in a spin
Student

Woman named 'Britain’s horniest student' to be disciplined by university

student
Life & Style
Baby zoom: Bugaboos represent the kind of hi-tech savvy seen in an increasing number of baby products

Hey baby, nice wheels! The rise of baby gadgets

techLuke Blackall reports on precision engineered prams and babygros that monitor your child 24-7
Arts & Entertainment
David Cameron is a fan of Mumford & Sons, apparently

Dave's faves

music After The Killers and Radiohead, which is the latest band to get the PM's seal of approval?
Sport

The really fast show - man cycling down waterslide goes viral

sport
Arts & Entertainment
The cast of the original History Boys production at the National Theatre

Better than Hamlet? History Boys voted nation's favourite play

theatre
Elephant Appeal donate now >

independent images

SPONSORED FEATURES

Five things to do for a fiver in London this December

This Christmas, you can park in one of NCP’s ten most popular London car parks for just £5 for six hours of parking at selected times during weekdays and the weekend.

Prizes & offers Business videos

Enter the latest Independent competitions

Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.

NCP Parking Business videos

Business videos from commercial thought leaders

Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.

NCP Parking Prizes & offers
iJobs Job Widget
iJobs General

Project consultant - implementation, portfolio management

£50000 - £60000 per annum + BONUS + BENEFITS: Harrington Starr: A leading prov...

Market Data Product Specialist - pre-sales, presales, data feed

£70000 - £90000 per annum + BONUS + BENEFITS: Harrington Starr: A leading mark...

Project Auditor - International Travel

£34999 - £44001 per annum + Benefits: Pro-Recruitment Group: A Top 10 Accounta...

Product Specialist, Market Data Specialist

£60000 - £80000 per annum + benefits + bonus: Harrington Starr: Product Specia...

View the latest from iJobs

Day In a Page

The death of Nelson Mandela: A last chance to offer last respects for Madiba

A last chance to offer last respects for Madiba

They came and waited patiently in their thousands for a momentary glimpse of their hero, Nelson Mandela
Church versus state: Scientology faces unholy war after court ruling

Church versus state: Scientology faces unholy war after court ruling

The Supreme Court judgment  has profound consequences, meaning it could gain charitable status – and opens the floodgates to claims by other organisations
Volunteering is for life, not just for Christmas

Volunteering is for life, not just for Christmas

Full of the joys and want to help your fellow man? Volunteering in December isn't the way to go about it
Christmas hits: Jingle sells

Christmas hits: Jingle sells

As Mariah Carey and Noddy Holder rake in the royalties from their classics, why hasn't there been a decent festive hit for nearly 20 years?
Is this the end of the road for the postman?

Is this the end of the road for the postman?

The postman on his bike could become a thing of the past thanks to Royal Mail's plans to phase out deliveries on two wheels. No wonder posties are in a spin
Not all right on the night

Not all right on the night

Author Daniel Rosenthal recalls the mishaps that almost brought the curtain down on the likes of John Gielgud and Diana Rigg
Mandela's prison: ‘This is an island. Here you will die’

Mandela's prison: ‘This is an island. Here you will die’

As the world remembers Mandela the hero, the prison where he spent 27 years seems all the more brutal
Contenders for Time's Person of the Year

Contenders for Time's Person of the Year

The American magazine's shortlist is a mixture of the good, the bad and the holy
Revealed: how prehistoric 'des res' gave Stone Age Brits a perfect diet

Revealed: how prehistoric 'des res' gave Stone Age Brits a perfect diet

25-site survey shows that early humans chose predominantly to live on islands in the flood plains of major rivers
Chile: The nation that’s still waging war on Native Americans

The nation that’s still waging war on Native Americans

Chile’s refusal to recognise ancestral land claims has sparked a deadly conflict with the Mapuche people
Dawn of a new era: Italy’s ‘Tony Blair’ shakes up centre left with youthful team

Dawn of a new era

Italy’s ‘Tony Blair’ shakes up centre left with youthful team
English National Ballet: the turning pointe?

The turning pointe for English National Ballet?

Under Tamara Rojo's inspired direction, it seems possible that it could challenge the dominance of the Royal Ballet. We meet some of its established names and rising stars
Dead in the water: MoD shake-up plans ditched

Dead in the water: MoD shake-up plans ditched

The Government's project to 'privatise' the £15bn defence agency that buys the armed forces' tanks and submarines is shelved
A big hand for Punta del Este

A big hand for Punta del Este

In this week's Lonely Planet 'Great Escape', discover Uruguay's jet-set beach resort, an Atlantic enclave with plenty of art and culture to explore on the side
Ian Bell on the Ashes: We know we've let ourselves down – however there'll be no shortage of fight from us in Perth

Ian Bell on the Ashes

We know we've let ourselves down – however there'll be no shortage of fight from us in Perth