UK's winter starling flocks

Starlings on an electricity line in Colmar, France Photograph: Christian Hartmann/EPA

Starlings over a field near Great Falls, USA. At this time of year starlings form vast flocks for the winter - not just in the UK, but in places such as Algeria and the United States Photograph: Robin Loznak/AP

Starlings take flight in a field north of Bakersfield in California, USA. Each night before they roost, starlings swoop around the skies in spectacular formations Photograph: Eric Rorer/Getty

Thousands of starlings fly over the dome of the Berlin cathedral, Germany. Quite why or how the birds move together so fluidly, making such specific shapes, remains a mystery Photograph: Jens Kalaene/Corbis

Thousands of starlings flock over Brighton's west pier. Flocks start forming around November each year, and stay together right through to spring when the birds go off - some abroad, some not - to breed Photograph: Gerry Penny/EPA

The spots where you can watch the spectacular flocks in the UK are quite well known: the Somerset levels (pictured), Brighton's crumbling West Pier and near Slimbridge on the river Severn Photograph: Richard Austin/Rex

Starlings over the derelict West Pier in Brighton, England. Britain gets a huge influx of starlings from Russia and northern Europe. They come here to roost in the relative warmth Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty

Starlings over a park at sunset in Algiers, Algeria. Starlings are thought to form flocks for safety in numbers, warmth, and possibly communication Photograph: Fayez Nureldine/AFP

Starlings in Algiers, Algeria. Some flocks have been estimated to contain 2 million birds Photograph: Fayez Nureldine/AFP

Starlings at dusk in Algiers, Algeria. The best time to catch the spectacular behaviour is in the evening – an hour before it gets dark Photograph: Fayez Nureldine/AFP

Unusual shapes against the sunset. Flocks of starlings build in the late afternoon before the birds descend to roost for the night Photograph: Fayez Nureldine/AFP