The Life of Birds

Rating:
Summary: Watch the DVD, and then get the book...
Review: ...or dvd compression, or whatever.

Beyond the rather grainy/fuzzy look to a lot of the episodes, this is David Attenborough's opus to his favorite animals, the birds. Well, I can't be sure they are his favorite animals, but it would seem that way from his treatment of them in this and several of the other 'Life' series.

OK, perhaps a second complaint might be that we've seen a little of this before with 'Trials of Life', but unlike 'Life of Mammals' that alternatively feels too recycled or stretching too hard to find the weirdest thing we've never seen (IE the Golden Mole), 'Birds' gets right down to its lessons in Ornithology.

Not that it's anywhere near as brainy as Life on Earth--I'm pretty sure nature lovers of any age will dig it--but it doesn't go for flash the way 'Blue Planet' (admittedly only narrated by Attenborough) or 'Mammals' does. Common species do the job of telling the story Attenborough has for us just as well as the species from the 'wind-swept plains of patagonia'. With the stylistic flourish paired down, Attenborough's love and enthusiasm for avians shines through and we get something that all the special infra-red cameras and weird post-editing couldn't accomplish. Ultimately, 'Life of Birds' is both informative and enduring, while Attenborough's continued arguments for conservation and preservation of species will fall silent on only the most unfeeling viewers. If Attenborough's goal was to establish a sense of marvel toward a group of animals we often take for granted, he has accomplished this and perhaps a little more.

A strong series that stands alone or works well in conjunction with many of Attenborough's other works. Recommended!

Rating:
Summary: The worst thing is the video transfer...
Review: ...or dvd compression, or whatever.

Beyond the rather grainy/fuzzy look to a lot of the episodes, this is David Attenborough's opus to his favorite animals, the birds. Well, I can't be sure they are his favorite animals, but it would seem that way from his treatment of them in this and several of the other 'Life' series.

OK, perhaps a second complaint might be that we've seen a little of this before with 'Trials of Life', but unlike 'Life of Mammals' that alternatively feels too recycled or stretching too hard to find the weirdest thing we've never seen (IE the Golden Mole), 'Birds' gets right down to its lessons in Ornithology.

Not that it's anywhere near as brainy as Life on Earth--I'm pretty sure nature lovers of any age will dig it--but it doesn't go for flash the way 'Blue Planet' (admittedly only narrated by Attenborough) or 'Mammals' does. Common species do the job of telling the story Attenborough has for us just as well as the species from the 'wind-swept plains of patagonia'. With the stylistic flourish paired down, Attenborough's love and enthusiasm for avians shines through and we get something that all the special infra-red cameras and weird post-editing couldn't accomplish. Ultimately, 'Life of Birds' is both informative and enduring, while Attenborough's continued arguments for conservation and preservation of species will fall silent on only the most unfeeling viewers. If Attenborough's goal was to establish a sense of marvel toward a group of animals we often take for granted, he has accomplished this and perhaps a little more.

A strong series that stands alone or works well in conjunction with many of Attenborough's other works. Recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Just Buy It!
Review: An excellent series about the most divine beings that inhabit this planet! Just get it!

Rating:
Summary: Amazing pictures, entertaining explanations, great quality
Review: As Sir David Attenborough has acostumed us. Life of birds is just another must see in the history of documentaries. In this case maybe pictures are not as amazing as inPrivate life of Plants where motion was shown in a reign that looks still and quiet, discovering a new face of plants. Birds are pure movement and maneuverability, so what you can show to impress is amazing pictures of undiscovered behaviours or strange species bird-fans didn't know yet. That hidden species and features, and the usual charming style of Sir David Attenborough makes you stay stuck to you seat and grasps your interest since the very first minute.

Rating:
Summary: The BEST docu on birds I've ever seen
Review: Bird lovers *must* see this. Computer graphics, and unbelievable shots make this the best compiled documentary on birds I've ever had the pleasure of viewing. A "must see" for backyard birdwatchers, birders and those who just love birds.

Rating:
Summary: Great is the only word to describe The Life of Birds.
Review: David Attenborough's series, The Life of Birds, is quite simply the best documentary wildlife program I have ever seen. First, hats off to the photographers who spent countless hours patiently waiting for that one moment when, for example, a hawk plummets from the sky to capture its prey on the ground. We watch in wonder as this magnificent bird folds its wings and falls at speeds of 200 mph and more to the ground to stike and then lift quickly the unsuspecting animal in its talons. On the other end of the spectrum we observe a hummingbird remaining still in the air while its wings are beating a hundred times a second as it delicately licks nectar from a flower. Before television we have never had a chance to see these wonders so closely and so immediately. These great photographers reveal the mysteries of nature hidden from all but a very few naturalists.

David Attenborough is our guide in this wonderland and he treats us like a friend along for a walk in the woods or the frozen tundra of the North Pole, as well as the rest of the planet that he has wandered in his search for undiscovered truths about the habits of birds. Attenborough takes great risks on our behalf. With line and pulley his ascends to the tops of trees in the Amazon rain forest or the eagles nest high in the rocky mountains.

Not a moment is wasted. Each minute of every program is filled with sights and sounds, facts and figures, and thoughtful commentary about the life of birds. We think of ourselves as the masterbuilders of planet earth until we see the weaver birds using spiders' silk to sew a nest using the leaves of trees and thatch carefully gathered to make a home for the eggs that hatch into young as carefully tended as a mother tends her child.

Our DVD player gives us options no naturalist ever had. We are able to slow down and freeze frame extraordinary sights and study them carefully before we move on. Here is an education no book can match or field study replicate. When the last program ends we have the satisfaction of knowing that the whole show is available to us again and again to view at our leisure.

Great is the only word to describe The Life of Birds and first-time viewers will be delighted by all they see and hear. This is a program for everyone and a great investment for any home library.

Rating:
Summary: Great is the only word to describe The Life of Birds.
Review: David Attenborough's series, The Life of Birds, is quite simply the best documentary wildlife program I have ever seen. First, hats off to the photographers who spent countless hours patiently waiting for that one moment when, for example, a hawk plummets from the sky to capture its prey on the ground. We watch in wonder as this magnificent bird folds its wings and falls at speeds of 200 mph and more to the ground to stike and then lift quickly the unsuspecting animal in its talons. On the other end of the spectrum we observe a hummingbird remaining still in the air while its wings are beating a hundred times a second as it delicately licks nectar from a flower. Before television we have never had a chance to see these wonders so closely and so immediately. These great photographers reveal the mysteries of nature hidden from all but a very few naturalists.

David Attenborough is our guide in this wonderland and he treats us like a friend along for a walk in the woods or the frozen tundra of the North Pole, as well as the rest of the planet that he has wandered in his search for undiscovered truths about the habits of birds. Attenborough takes great risks on our behalf. With line and pulley his ascends to the tops of trees in the Amazon rain forest or the eagles nest high in the rocky mountains.

Not a moment is wasted. Each minute of every program is filled with sights and sounds, facts and figures, and thoughtful commentary about the life of birds. We think of ourselves as the masterbuilders of planet earth until we see the weaver birds using spiders' silk to sew a nest using the leaves of trees and thatch carefully gathered to make a home for the eggs that hatch into young as carefully tended as a mother tends her child.

Our DVD player gives us options no naturalist ever had. We are able to slow down and freeze frame extraordinary sights and study them carefully before we move on. Here is an education no book can match or field study replicate. When the last program ends we have the satisfaction of knowing that the whole show is available to us again and again to view at our leisure.

Great is the only word to describe The Life of Birds and first-time viewers will be delighted by all they see and hear. This is a program for everyone and a great investment for any home library.

Rating:
Summary: I'd still rate it a 5-star
Review: Even though there were some things I thought were missed, and even though there was something in every program that mildly annoyed me. With nothing really comparable, I still believe this is worth the top rating, simply because of the labor of love David Attenborough put into it.

What were those things I didn't like? In "Life of Birds", with 5 minutes to go in every program, David would introduce the next program, but then would resume with the current program. This, to me, breaks the rhythm of the narrative and is not consistent with the style used in "Life of Mammals", where he would introduce the next program only at the very end of the current program. Maybe this difference in style also reflects the difference in time the two were created, "Life of Birds" seems to have been made much earlier, and it even shows in the inferior quality of some of the footage used. Each program in "Birds" also lasts 53 minutes, while those of "Mammals" last only 48. Those extra five minutes...

I also think there was not enough attention given to other crucial parts of birds' anatomy, like the unique respiratory system that allows them to cope with the oxygen demands of flight. Even the differences in "white muscle" of quail and red muscle of doves, for example, were not touched, and these would have given insight to why some birds are natural strong flyers while some are limited to short burts and spend their time mostly on the ground. Differences in talons and beaks, differences in wing shapes, IMO could have been better illustrated.

And in both "Birds" and "Mammals" I really can't understand why David Attenborough would go great lengths to show the rarest of species while ignoring the obvious: chickens, dogs, cats, cows and horses. Just because these animals are domesticated and common in the backyard doesn't mean they're not interesting.

And yeah, house cats are among the most destructive of bird predators. Maybe that's one reason for not showing house cats.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Excellent work! Excellent Narration! Excellent Picture Quality! Five Mega Stars!!!

Rating:
Summary: birdwatcher from nh
Review: Fantastic! This is one of the most informative, entertaining and professional set of nature videos I've ever watched! If only prime time were this good. If you're into birds, buy these videos!