椋鸟群在布莱顿西码头废墟上空盘旋, 英格兰 Starling murmuration over the ruins of Brighton's West Pier, England (© Philip Reeve/Photodisc/Getty Images)

椋鸟群在布莱顿西码头废墟上空盘旋, 英格兰 Starling murmuration over the ruins of Brighton's West Pier, England (© Philip Reeve/Photodisc/Getty Images)

废墟之上，椋鸟群舞 Rust meets rush

椋鸟群在布莱顿西码头废墟上空盘旋，英格兰

椋鸟是天生的“舞台明星”，它们深谙抢镜之道：羽毛在阳光下闪烁绿紫光泽，叫声里还夹杂着模仿的趣味。椋鸟原产于欧亚大陆，如今已遍布全球。19世纪，一位痴迷莎士比亚作品的鸟类爱好者，将椋鸟引入纽约中央公园，从此开启了它们的美洲传奇。

英格兰布莱顿西码头，锈迹斑驳，却在椋鸟云潮掠过时焕发生机。每逢秋冬黄昏，成千上万的椋鸟在空中翻涌，宛如一曲无声的交响乐。这场奇景被称作“椋鸟群舞”，名字本身就带着韵律感，恰似翅膀拍击的节奏。科学家认为，鸟群俯冲盘旋是为了迷惑天敌、保持体温，并传递栖息地的信息。无论缘由如何，这场天幕之舞总令游客举起手机仰望，在鸟群归巢前争相捕捉这转瞬即逝的奇观。

Starling murmuration over the ruins of Brighton's West Pier, England

When a bird is called a starling, you'd expect it to be a bit of a show-off. True to its name, this little creature knows how to steal the spotlight. From shimmering feathers that glint green and purple in the sun, to its ability to mimic sounds, the starling is the headline act. Originally native to Europe and Asia, the common starling has spread across the globe. In the 19th century, a group of them were introduced to New York's Central Park by an enthusiast of birds mentioned in Shakespeare's plays.

Brighton's West Pier may be a ruin, but when starlings gather above it, the scene is anything but broken. Each evening in autumn and winter, thousands of these small birds twist and turn in the air. The spectacle is called a murmuration, a term as musical as the sound of wings beating in unison. Scientists suggest the birds swoop and swirl to confuse predators, keep warm and share information about roosting spots. Whatever the reason, the result is a dance that has visitors gazing upward, phones in hand, hoping to catch a glimpse before the flock settles for the night.