How do they do it?

FOR a fantastic free show, look no further than the skies around dusk!
By The Newsroom
Published 7th Mar 2011, 12:00 BST

Groups of starlings are currently doing amazing aerobatics prior to roosting – they manage to wheel around as one, creating wonderful shapes in the process, seemingly without bumping into each other.

I am reminded of shoals of fish in the sea; I expect they have some sort of inbuilt radar system, but do they have a leader?

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Eventually, at some given signal (?), they drop down in unison to end their display and settle for the night.

How and why do they do this? It seems more sophisticated than any human function. Maybe some of your more scientific readers could enlighten me?

Many thanks in anticipation!

Marilyn Dennis

Old Mead Road

Littlehampton