THIS is the mesmerising moment a murmuration of starlings took to the skies above the North-East.

The swooping mass of thousands of birds whirling in the sky above in a mass aerial stunt was captured by Press Association photographer Owen Humphrys at dusk over Blenkinsopp Castle in Northumberland.

Mr Humphrys said: “Although I’ve photographed murmurations a number of times, they never fail to impress. Although the shapes on these recent photographs weren’t as good as some I have witnessed, the sheer volume of bird numbers made up for it. It is just an amazing part of nature – the murmurations look different every time.”

It is thought that starlings fly in murmurations for many reasons. Grouping together offers safety in numbers. They also gather to keep warm at night and to exchange information, such as good feeding areas.

They gather over their roosting site, and perform their wheeling stunts before they roost for the night.

According to the RSPB, the starling population has fallen by more than 80 per cent in recent years, meaning they are now on the critical list of UK birds most at risk. The decline is believed to be due to the loss of permanent pasture, increased use of farm chemicals and a shortage of food and nesting sites in many parts of the UK.