An Eye-Popping Starling Murmuration Captured in Black and White

In the relatively warm winter between 2014 and 2015, common starlings were found staying in the Netherlands instead of migrating to the south. Photographer and filmmaker Jan van IJken took his camera out and shot this beautiful short film titled “The Art of Flying.” It shows thousands upon thousands of birds flying in eye-popping swarms (known as murmurations).

“It is still unknown how the thousands of birds are able to fly in such dense swarms without colliding,” the film’s description reads. “Every night the starlings gather at dusk to perform their stunning air show.”

Above is the condensed 2-minute version of the beautiful black-and-white short film. You can watch the full 7-minute version over on Vimeo On Demand. You can also find more of Van IJken’s work on his website.