The Life of Birds with David Attenborough
The Life of Birds is a fantastic 10-part documentary BBC televison series first broadcast in 1998. Narrated by David Attenborough, The Life of Birds contains some of the most memorable footage of bird behaviour ever seen, including many species never filmed before: it is a wonderful series and a must see for any bird lover from armchair bird enthusiast to serious ornithologist.
For those interested in watching amazing bird videos, try my lens; 10 Bird Video Clips you Must See.
The Life of Birds
If you are not a bird lover before watching the life of birds you will be afterwards.
The Life of Birds
The Life of Birds, 10 - part series on DVD
Amazon Price: $30.49 (as of 12/05/2009) 
The Life of Birds
The Life of Birds - the book of the series.
Amazon Price: $23.10 (as of 12/05/2009)
Superb Lyrebird
The Life of Birds is a must see series for the footage in episode 6 of the Superb Lyrebird alone. This piece of film was voted the British public's favourite moment from a David Attenborough series which, considering David's long and memorable career, is a huge recommendation.The footage of the Superb Lyrebird shows it mimicking perfectly the sound of a camera shutter and the camera's motor drive, a car alarm and most incredibly the sound of a chainsaw and splintering trees.
Whether you are a birdwatcher or not this sight and sound is something unforgettable - many of my non-birding friends have watched it and were quite amazed.
Lyrebird Video
Superb Lyrebird performing an amazing call.
Amazing! Bird sounds from the lyre bird - David Attenborough - BBC wildlife 0 points
The Life of Birds
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Episode 1: To Fly Or Not To Fly
To Fly or Not to Fly
David Attenborough presents a ten-part insight into the evolution and behaviours of birds. In this first programme, computer graphics recreate the period 150 million years ago when small, fast-running dinosaurs evolved feathers and took to the air. In New Zealand, David examines the environment required by birds which have survived without recourse to flight, and enjoys a midnight encounter with a kiwi, captured on a starlight-sensitive camera.
Runtime: 2958
14776 views
82 Comments:
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Episode 2: The Mastery Of Flight
The Mastery of Flight
David Attenborough offers an array of insights in to how birds have adapted to the air space and perfected the skills needed to fly. Though take-off is exhausting, and landing can be fraught with difficulties, birds are the masters of the air. They can fly with their wings back at speeds in excess of two hundred miles per hour, or remain in a completely stationary hover. But how do birds even manage to stay airborne?
Runtime: 2957
7019 views
25 Comments:
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Episode 3: The Insatiable Appetite
The Insatiable Appetite
A beak made from horn, without any teeth, might seem a clumsy implement for gathering food. Yet David Attenborough discovers that birds have evolved an amazing range of bill shapes and sizes designed to hammer out grubs from trees, winkle out tiny seeds from fruits, and sip nectar from the deep recesses of flowers.
Runtime: 2957
4141 views
12 Comments:
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Episode 4: Meat Eaters
Life of Birds: Meat Eaters
From meat eating parrots in New Zealand to massive eagles that catch monkeys and flamingoes in Africa, David Attenborough looks at the dramatic ways in which these birds hunt their prey. To hunt, birds need super-senses and great skill. Some birds use exceptional hearing to track down their prey, while others use their supreme vision or a heightened sense of smell.
Runtime: 2956
56189 views
202 Comments:
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Episode 5 : Fishing For A Living
Fishing for a Living
Fresh and salt waters all over the world are rich in food and birds are the best fishers there are. David Attenborough follow birds from across the globe, including common mallards, revealing them as exquisite divers and American dippers who prise small creatures from underneath rocks in Yellowstone National Park. Wherever there is water, there are birds, who have learnt to get food there.
Runtime: 2951
6044 views
30 Comments:
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Episode 6: Signals & Songs
The Eloquent Communicators
David Attenborough reveals how birds have become expert communicators and use extraordinary patterns of colour and beautiful songs to deter predators, intimidate rivals and even impress potential mates. In Patagonia, he enters into a morse code conversation with one of the worlds largest woodpeckers. While the lyrebird of southern Australia has its own comprehensive selection of musical notes, but it also steals sounds from its environment and incorporates them into its own repertoire.
Runtime: 2968
5025 views
17 Comments:
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Episode 7 : Finding Partners
Finding Partners
David Attenborough reveals how male birds use both extraordinary displays and bizarre rituals in order to turn a females head, and how for many species its girl power that rules the dating game. Curassows and guans have bizarre calls that sound just like dropping bombs and electric drills. On the Galapagos Islands, frigate birds pump up their vivid red throat pouches. While the tiny fairy wren of southern Australia is revealed as the most promiscuous bird in the world.
Runtime: 2958
6109 views
16 Comments:
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Episode 8 : The Demands Of The Egg
The Demands of the Egg
David Attenborough explores the extraordinary variety of ways in which birds from all over the world construct their nests and protect their eggs from predators. Because birds need to be light in order to fly, each egg must be laid as soon as it is produced and then kept both warm and protected. So the vast majority of birds make nests of some kind. Australian warblers use their beaks like a sewing machine to stitch leaves together, and apostle birds use them to trowel mud on their nests.
Runtime: 2958
3357 views
9 Comments:
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Episode 9 : The Problems Of Parenthood
The Problems of Parenthood
David Attenborough looks at the fascinating diversity of feeding practices and behavioural patterns employed by birds. Sweeping through an incredible range of species, including pelicans, sea eagles, babblers and finch chicks, it offers a thorough study of the way in which birds solve the problems of parenthood.
Runtime: 2958
2741 views
13 Comments:
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Episode 10 : The Limits OF Endurance
The Limits of Endurance
David Attenborough concludes his series exploring the evolution and behaviour of birds by looking at how birds cope with living in some of the harshest and most bizarre places on the planet. From huddled masses of emperor penguins in the Antarctic winter to the sand grouse in the burning African desert, it is a story of surviving the Earths extremes.
Runtime: 2956
6012 views
26 Comments:
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The Life of Birds
Other Highlights of the Life of Birds
One of my favourite moments from the Life of Birds is the incredible Bowerbird "temple" which resembles a cave woven from straw, containing an altar and piles of pink flowers and beetle wings as decoration to attract a mate - quite wonderful!
Regent Bowerbird
More Video Clips From The Life of Birds
Wild crows inhabiting the city use it to their advantage - David Attenborough - BBC wildlife
Runtime: 135
260613 views
461 Comments:
Animal romance and mating of the albatross bird - David Attenborough - BBC wildlife
Runtime: 197
60701 views
73 Comments:
Bird Books, Toys, Optics and Accessories
Click the banner above to go to the online nature mall where a huge range of birdwatching books, videos, sounds, binoculars and many other associated products are available.
Other Great BBC Wildlife Documentaries
The Life of Mammals, Vol. 1-4
Amazon Price: $67.49 (as of 12/06/2009)
Life in the Undergrowth
Amazon Price: $18.99 (as of 12/06/2009)
Life in Cold Blood
Amazon Price: $28.49 (as of 12/06/2009)
Life in the Freezer
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 12/06/2009)
Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series
Amazon Price: $27.99 (as of 12/06/2009)
David Attenborough's Autobiography
David Attenborough: Life on Air
Amazon Price: (as of 12/06/2009)
David Attenborough
Sir David Frederick Attenborough () OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS, FZS, FSA (born 8 May 1926 in London, England) is a broadcaster and naturalist. His career as the respected face and voice of natural history programmes has endured for more than 50 years. He is best known for writing and presenting the nine "Life" series, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, which collectively form a comprehensive survey of all life on the planet. He is also a former senior manager at the BBC, having served as controller of BBC Two and director of programming for BBC Television in the 1960s and...
My Bird Video Clip Lens
If you have seen The Life of Birds and enjoyed it then you should check out my lens of 10 Bird Video Clips, where I have showcased 11 (I found one more I couldn't resist after making the lens) superb video clips showing some amazing bird behaviour. The Lyrebird is there again and so is an amazing dancing Bowerbird and a shoplifting seagull; take a look.-
10 Amazing Bird Video Clips
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Birds are a most amazing group of species, the closest living relatives of dinosaurs, indeed there is evidence to suggest that they are dinosaurs. I have been watching birds since I was 7 years old, but it didn't take me long to see that bird behavi...
Do You Like The Life og Birds?
I think that the Lyrebird is hard to beat but if you have another favourite moment from The Life of Birds please let me know.
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Reply
- wilddove6 wilddove6 Nov 18, 2009 @ 12:11 pm
- This is my FAVORITE series on birds! There is no better!
I've watched mine over and over again and never tire of it.
Great lens!
Wing high five!
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Reply
- dustytoes dustytoes Jun 7, 2009 @ 5:51 am
- Wow that Lyrebird video is awesome! And a bit sad. My 11 year old son and I watched it and he was amazed too. Fantastic! Thanks for sharing.
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- darlkay52 darlkay52 Feb 6, 2009 @ 4:01 am
- Great lens. I love watching birds in my area!
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- Matthew_Ferry Matthew_Ferry Jul 3, 2008 @ 9:46 am
- Wow! Very impressive lens especially the Lyre Bird, I enjoy a lot..Really I'm so impressed with this very unique creature...5 impressive stars for you..
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- ElizabethJeanAllen ElizabethJeanAllen Mar 17, 2008 @ 12:19 pm
- Bird watching is the second largest hobby in America, second only to gardening. I love to garden but I would rather just sit and watch the birds.
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101 Ways To Help Birds
101 Ways to Help Birds
Bird lovers of all levels can learn a lot in this book to enable them to help birds. Covers many aspects of helping birds from bird feeding to campaigning. An excellent addition to a bird lover's book collection, even after 30 years of birding I learned a lot here.
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 12/06/2009)
About The lens Author
Lensmaster nickupton has been a member since June 23 2007, has rated 150 lenses, favorited 73, and has created 63 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "The Sneetches by Dr Seuss". See all my lenses
by nickupton
Having been a birdologist since the age of seven I am something of an ornithological recluse. However, I managed to gain adulthood, if only physic... (more)
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