'Stephen Moss delights once more - lyrical and informative by turns, he conjures - with breathless eloquence - another feathered beauty of our skies.' Benedict Allen 'An engrossing compilation of ornithological tidbits, cultural anecdotes, literary quotes and well chosen historical artwork' BBC Wildlife, *Books of the Year* Uncover the life of starlings through this beautiful guide to these majestic and gregarious birds from the bestselling author of The Owl , The Robin , The Wren , and The Swan . Even with its exquisite iridescent plumage and magical gift to mimic both human and natural sounds, this common garden bird can often be overlooked. But as they unite in their thousands to display their unique ability to perform dazzling aerial manoeuvres known as murmurations, starlings are nothing short of breathtaking. This is the captivating story of how starlings have shaped our world, from influencing agriculture and inspiring musicians such as Mozart and writers such as Shakespeare, to their impact as an invasive species in North America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. With beautiful illustrations throughout, and an expert guide to the most magnificent murmurations in the UK, this eye-opening biography reveals the hidden secrets of one of our most talented and luminous birds.