Features: DVD
Colorful, mysterious, noble and intriguing, birds have fascinated us since the dawn of history. David Attenborough, one of the world's foremost naturalists, hosts an extraordinary 10-part exploration into the secret lives of these magnificent creatures. Over three years in the making, with stunning slow-motion and computer enhanced special effects, this series will fascinate every nature lover. "To Fly Or Not To Fly?": Host David Attenborough leads us through the history of birds, from the first flying reptiles to today's consummate navigators. From the giant extinct flightless birds to modern ostriches and emus, see how birds have made a claim to populate not only the air but the land. "The Mastery Of Flight": For all their grace and agility, birds face serious challenges in getting into the air, staying there, and landing safely. Among their many adaptations is the single weight-saving feature that only birds possess--feathers. "The Insatiable Appetite": Evolution has produced an amazing range of bill shapes and sizes, allowing birds to hammer grubs from tree trunks, search out the tiniest seeds, tear meat, and sip nectar. And if they can't reach what they are seeking, some of them use tools to help get a meal! "Meat-Eaters": Meat is an exceptionally rich food, but it isn't always easy to obtain. From the meat-eating Kea parrot of New Zealand, to African eagles who prey on monkeys and flamingos, see the strategies that some birds use to find and catch their prey--including tracking by ultraviolet vision! "Fishing For A Living": Birds not only find food in every part of the land, but they are also expert in collecting it from water, fresh or salt. Over time they've developed many ingenious methods--from diving to dancing, skimming to spearing--to reap the rich bounty in Earth's waters. "Signals And Songs": Birds communicate with one another using signs, signals and occasionally a bit of mimicry. With sound and visual display, they warn one another of danger, defend territory and offspring, maintain social hierarchies, attract mates and even settle their conflicts peacefully. "Finding Partners": The courtship rites of birds are among the most beautiful and complex in the animal kingdom. All over the world, male birds attract their mates with brilliant, often bizarre, displays of color, song and dance, even gifts of food and nesting materials. "The Demands Of The Egg": Birds go to extraordinary lengths to protect their eggs, to keep them warm and safe from predators. To meet these challenges, they have developed the art of pottery, carpentry, weaving, camouflage and deception. "The Problems Of Parenthood": Bringing up a baby, for any animal, is a demanding business. Most birds are exemplary parents, tending devotedly to their offspring, but some are content to leave the rearing to others or to neglect all but the chick most likely to survive. "The Limits Of Endurance": Birds manage to survive in the most hostile environments on Earth, from the hottest deserts to the most barren, frigid polar zones, even in the newest of all habitats--human cities. People are at long last learning to coexist with and care for their fascinating feathered neighbors.
Editor's Note
A ten hour series which presents a comprehensive look at one of the planet's most beautiful species. Volume 1: To Fly or Not to Fly? and The Mastery of Flight; Volume 2: The Insatiable Appetite and Meat-Eaters; Volume 3: Fishing For a Living and Signal and Songs; Volume 4: Finding Partners and The Demands of the Egg; Volume 5: The Problems of Parenthood and The Limits of Endurance.
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