JustWatch
S01 Episode 1
To Fly or Not to Fly?
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.
49 mins · Wed, 21 Oct 1998
S01 Episode 2
The Mastery of Flight
Using state-of-the-art 3D 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.
49 mins · Wed, 28 Oct 1998
S01 Episode 3
The Insatiable Appetite
Focusing 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 hundred of holes to store enormous quantities of food.
49 mins · Wed, 4 Nov 1998
S01 Episode 4
Meat-Eaters
David Attenborough looks at birds of prey, from meat-eating parrots in New Zealand to African eagles capable of catching monkeys and flamingos.
49 mins · Wed, 11 Nov 1998
S01 Episode 5
Fishing for a Living
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.
49 mins · Wed, 18 Nov 1998
S01 Episode 6
Signals and Songs
David Attenborough 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.
49 mins · Wed, 25 Nov 1998
S01 Episode 7
Finding Partners
Sir 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 it is girl power that rules the dating game.
49 mins · Wed, 2 Dec 1998
S01 Episode 8
The Demands of the Egg
Sir David Attenborough examines the various ways in which birds construct their nests and protect their eggs from predators. Includes breathtaking scenes of aerial piracy, and a remarkable 3D animated view of the processes involved in laying an egg.
49 mins · Wed, 9 Dec 1998
S01 Episode 9
The Problems of Parenthood
An illustration of the fascinating diversity of feeding practises 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.
49 mins · Wed, 16 Dec 1998
S01 Episode 10
The Limits of Endurance
David Attenborough looks at how birds cope with living in some of the harshest and most bizarre places on the planet, from the sandgrouse in the Namibian 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.
49 mins · Wed, 23 Dec 1998
