@MarianneTiel it’s the first time I’ve been aware of the starlings gathering in numbers the trees by the house. We get a dozen or so come to the bird feeders but thankfully not huge flocks. When one group broke away the others would suddenly go silent for a few seconds before the whistles and squeaks started up again. Very sociable birds but they do squabble! I don’t know but I’m guessing they congregate like this and gather others en route to the roost for safety.