The flight of a starling flock at dusk, know as a murmuration, is one of nature’s most beguiling sights. Blurring the line between the individual and the group, murmurations involve synchronised swooping patterns to ward off predators and exchange information in a manner that’s still something of a mystery to scientists. This two-minute excerpt from the Dutch filmmaker Jan van IJken’s short documentary The Art of Flying follows a spectacular aerial performance from a massive, shape-shifting starling flock over an open field in the Netherlands.
Director: Jan van IJken
video
Nature and landscape
Scenes from Aboriginal Australian pottery chart the turn of the seasons
7 minutes
video
Mathematics
After centuries of trying, we’ve yet to arrive at a perfect way to map colour
20 minutes
video
Nature and landscape
After independence, Mexico was in search of identity. These paintings offered a blueprint
15 minutes
video
Mathematics
Spiral into the ‘golden ratio’ – and separate the myths from the maths
4 minutes
video
Consciousness and altered states
What do screens depicting serene natural scenes mean to those living in lock-up?
12 minutes
video
Architecture
A lush tour of Fallingwater – the Frank Lloyd Wright design that changed architecture
14 minutes
video
Home
Life moves slowly in a Romanian mountain village, shaped by care and the seasons
13 minutes
video
Nature and landscape
‘A culture is no better than its woods’ – what our trees reveal about us, by W H Auden
5 minutes
video
Animals and humans
One man’s quest to save an orphaned squirrel, as narrated by David Attenborough
14 minutes