The Life of Birds — Season 1

In this 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.

Using state-of-the-art 3-D animation and a trip in a glider to show how birds have perfected the art of flying, the programme analyses how different species have evolved unique skills, from high-speed hunting at 200 miles-per-hour to precision hovering and the endurance to migrate thousands of miles.

This edition focuses on the remarkable variety of feeding habits employed by birds, from the hummingbird, whose long beak can sup nectar from the deepest blooms, to the acorn woodpecker, which peppers the trunks of trees with hundreds of holes to store enormous quantities of food.

This programme focuses on birds of prey, from meat-eating parrots in New Zealand to African eagles capable of catching monkeys and flamingos.

In this programme, a focus on the remarkable variety of aquatic birds, from ducks, kingfishers and penguins to one of the most bizarre birds of the series, the shoebill.

This programme reveals how birds have become highly sophisticated communicators, using extraordinary patterns of colour and beautiful songs to deter predators, intimidate rivals and impress potential mates.

Looking at how male birds use extraordinary displays and bizarre mating rituals to attract the attentions of females.

In this programme, he examines the variety of ways in which birds construct their nests and protect their eggs from predators. Including breathtaking scenes of aerial piracy and a remarkable 3-D animated view of the processes involved in laying an egg.

This programme provides an illustration of 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.

This programme looks at how birds cope with living in some of the harshest and most bizarre places on the planet, looking at the sandgrouse in theNamibian desert, spectacled eiders in the Arctic, a 10,000-strong nesting colony of oilbirds in a Venezuelan cave and black vultures nesting on the sixteenth floor balcony of a skyscraper in Sao Paulo.