The Life of Birds

by David Attenborough

Book Overview

Based on the spectacular ten-part program on PBS, The Life of Birds is David Attenborough at his characteristic best: presenting the drama, beauty, and eccentricities of the natural world with unusual flair and intelligence. The renowned writer and filmmaker treks through rain forests and deserts, through city streets and isolated wilderness, to bring us an illuminating panorama of every aspect of birds' lives--from their songs to their search for food, from their eggs and nests to their mastery of the air. Beautifully illustrated with more than a hundred color photographs, the book will delight and inform both bird lovers and any general reader with an interest in nature.

Attenborough begins at the beginning: reviewing ideas about how and when creatures first took to the air--and why ostriches, kiwis, and other flightless birds later returned to the ground. He introduces us to the marvels of flight. We encounter the albatross, which can soar for hours without flapping its wings; hummingbirds that beat their wings two hundred times a minute; and the swift, which eats, sleeps, and mates in mid-air. We read about birds' extraordinary methods of hunting and gathering--about crows that use twigs and leaves to hook and harpoon insects, and eagles that can stamp venomous snakes to death. Attenborough explains why and how birds sing and why many have such dazzling plumage. He reviews courtship and mating strategies, including the extravagant dances of cranes and the bizarre and ornate pavilions that male bowerbirds build to attract females. We learn how birds defend their young against predators. Attenborough explains how birds have colonized the globe more effectively than any other vertebrates, adapting to Antarctic winters and African summers, to vast oceans and the densest, most polluted cities. He also outlines the threat that humans pose to many species, showing how we have already driven many to extinction.

The book presents birds in all their complexity and glory, revealing in clear and elegant prose Attenborough's infectious sense of wonder about the rich variety of life on Earth.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 069101633X
• ISBN13: 9780691016337
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 2.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 7.2" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

Birb

I enjoyed this book a lot. Attenborough does a wonderful job of exploring all the amazing variety among birds without being overly repetitious or dry. I read this because I work with birds but I think others outside the field would find it interesting too. How else will you know cool stuff like that there's a bird species in Africa that flies bones up into the air, drops them on rocks and eats marrow from the cracks.

A Joy to Look At; Fascinating Read

LIFE OF BIRDS is a gorgeous journey into the evolution, behavior, and unique characteristics of hundreds of species of birds, varying from Antarctic-dwelling Emperor Penguins to amazing little hummingbirds (and everything in between). The photos are striking, and almost all the birds in the photos are discussed individually in the reader-friendly text. The author knows how to make bird facts fascinating. Every once in a while, I had to put down the book just so I could share with others whatever amazing bit of information I had learned about birds. I'll be honest and admit I didn't find LIFE OF BIRDS as engaging a read as LIFE OF MAMMALS, which is also by the same author. But I think that's because I'm a big cat and wolf type of person, not a bird person at all. I've never been particularly interested in birds, and only bought LIFE OF BIRDS because I thought LIFE OF MAMMALS was fantastic. Though I did thoroughly enjoy LIFE OF BIRDS, it took me longer to read it (discussions about aerodynamics are not my thing). The best thing I liked about LIFE OF BIRDS were the photos, many of which were pretty gross, showing birds eating monkeys, snakes eating birds, birds eating poop, etc. Everyone loved gawking at those.

Just call him Sir David Attenbird

David Attenborough has surpassed himself with this book. Previously best know for THE LIVING PLANET, here with the LIFE OF BIRDS he shows where his real interests lie - they fly. Written in a clear, easy, straightforward prose, Attenborough takes us around the world, using species from various locations to illustrate the books different themes. In discussing flightlessness we are introduced to some of the strangest birds alive today; one of the best known examples being New Zealand's Kiwi. Matching the Kiwi in flightlessness, and in possessing a sublime name, are the Kakapo, Weka and Takahe. When the book discusses plumage and courtship we are taken to the proper place: New Guinea - to look at birds-of-paradise and bowerbirds. LIFE OF BIRDS is heavily illustrated with full color photographs; at least one per page. The book covers a wide variety of topics such as nesting, parenting, fishing, hunting, and endurance. Attenborough discusses the interesting, and sometimes contentious issues in ornithology, namely: the origins of birds, the evolution of flight, migratory behavior, and bird extinctions. He does this in a very balanced manner, mentioning all the various theories. A good introduction to bird behavior and a perfect gift for a bird lover.

Exceptionally informative!

I found The Life of Birds very enjoyable and informative. The author took the trouble to break the information down into a logical set of chapter topics, and the photos are a pleasure to study, especially after reading the accompanying insightful text. I have plenty of good guides to North American birds, but none of my other books have the worldwide scope that this book does, highlighting both the similarities and differences in various species means of handling a given survival skill. Well done! (I enjoyed the subtle humour too!)

This is another fascinating read from David Attenborough.

The Life of Birds is another fascinating read from David Attenborough. I chose this book solely because he wrote it, not because I was looking for a book about birds. When I came across the book I knew it would be beautifully written and extremely interesting:and it is. Anyone who read and savored The Living Planet will find The Life of Birds to be equally fascinating. The photographs are of the highest caliber. This book can be read and re-read and it will always be interesting. It is a wonderful book to share with children as well. Young one's can benefit from looking at the pictures and having an adult simplify the text. This book is an excellent addition to the home library.

An indispensable book for any bird lover

As someone who has had a lifelong fascination with birds, I bought this book more for the photographs than anything else. After all, I knew everything about them already, right? Well, boy, was I put in my place! I learned things about these enigmatic creatures that I never would have imagined. One of the reasons this book is so enjoyable is the fact that Mr. Attenborough makes his own awe at the sheer wonder that birds are readily apparent, rather than speaking from the lofty heights of so many of his contemporaries. It's almost as if he is sharing his journey with the reader, and the two are making these discoveries together. And the hundreds of color photographs are incomparable, almost heartbreaking in their beauty. To make a long story short: if you love birds, then you MUST have this book. Period. Thanks, Mr. Attenborough!