7. "Finding Partners"
Broadcast 2 December 1998, this programme discusses mating rituals. If
a male bird is on the lookout for a partner and has a suitable nest, it
must advertise the fact, either by its call, a visual display or both.
The frigatebird provides an example of the latter, with its inflated
throat pouch. The hornbill's courtship, among that of many others, also
runs to the offer of a gift. For some species, dancing can also be an
important component, and grebes are shown performing a pas de deux. The
cock-of-the-rock, which dances solo within a group, is contrasted with
the team performance of the manakin. Once trust has been established
between a pair, mutual preening can follow. After mating, the
individuals usually remain together to rear their eventual family. In
this regard, the rea and the phalarope are highlighted as unusual
because in both instances, it is the male that incubates the eggs. Some
females judge a prospective companion on its nest-building ability, and
this is a conspicuous part of the weaver's behaviour. The bowerbird
puts on one of the most elaborate displays: a hut-like construction,
completed by a collection of objects designed to impress. Competition
among males can be fierce and in Scotland, Attenborough observes rival
capercaillies engaging in battle — after one of them chases the
presenter. Avian polygamy is not widespread, but is illustrated by the
superb fairy-wren, where the male's family can easily comprise young
that it did not father.
8. "The Demands of the Egg"
Broadcast 9 December 1998, this episode explores the lengths to which
birds will go to ensure that their chicks are brought into the world.
Attenborough begins on an island in the Seychelles, where sooty terns,
which have hitherto spent their lives on the wing, have landed to lay
their eggs. This is a necessity for birds, as eggs are too heavy to be
borne in the air for any considerable length of time. It is imperative
that nests are kept as far away from predators as possible, and unusual
locations for them are shown, such as: behind the water curtain of
Iguazu Falls in South America (as chosen by swifts), cliffs on
Argentina's coast favoured by parrots, an ants' nest occupied by a
woodpecker, and a tree hole inside which a female hornbill seals
itself. Eggs require warmth, and some nests are insulated by the
owners' feathers, others from ones found elsewhere. External
temperatures dictate how the eggs are incubated. The snowy owl has to
do so itself, because of its habitat; however, the maleo is able to
take advantage of solar heating. The amount of eggs laid also varies:
for example, the kiwi lays just one, whereas the blue tit will deposit
many. Their mottled surface serves to camouflage them. Birds that steal
eggs include toucans and currawongs. A number of strategies are
employed to deter the thieves, as illustrated by the yellow-rumped
thornbill, which builds a decoy nest atop its actual one, and the
plover, which distracts marauders by feigning injury.
9. "The Problems of Parenthood"
Broadcast 16 December 1998, the penultimate instalment concentrates on
the ways in which birds rear their offspring. Having successfully
incubated their eggs, the moment arrives when they hatch — and then the
real challenge begins: feeding the chicks. Lapland buntings and dippers
are shown doing so virtually non-stop throughout the day. The Gouldian
finch has a further problem in that its tree-hollow nest is dark
inside, so its young have conspicuous markings inside their mouths for
identification. Grebes are fed feathers with which to line the stomach,
and so protect it from fish bones. Coots and pelicans are among those
that turn on their own and force death by starvation if there is
insufficient food. The European cuckoo famously tricks other species
into raising its chick, but it is by no means alone in doing this.
Protecting a family is also a priority, and Brent geese are shown
nesting close to snowy owls as a means of insurance, but as soon as the
eggs hatch, they and their young must flee to avoid giving their
neighbours an easy meal. The million or so sooty terns in the
Seychelles prove that there is safety in numbers and the nearby
predatory egrets have little success when attempting to steal. The
behaviour of Arabian babblers is more akin to that of a troop of
monkeys: they do everything for the benefit of a group as a whole.
Eventually the day will come when flight beckons, and the grown bird
will leave the nest to start a family of its own.
10. "The Limits of Endurance"
Broadcast 23 December 1998, the final programme investigates the
challenges that must be surmounted if birds are to survive. The
sandgrouse is a species that has adapted to desert living: its breast
feathers are capable of absorbing water, which it can pass on to its
young. The crab plover also nests in the sand, and burrows until it
finds a comfortable temperature. Birds that choose remote places can
proliferate hugely, like the flamingos on an African soda lake.
Meanwhile, during winter, the entire world population of spectacled
eiders can be found in just a few assemblies on patches of the Arctic
Ocean. The city is a relatively recent habitat, but many have become
accustomed to it, such as the American black vultures in Sao Paulo. In
Japan, crows have learned to crack nuts by dropping them on to
pedestrian crossings — and waiting for the traffic to stop before
collecting them. In North America, purple martins have become totally
dependent on humans for their nest sites. Attenborough highlights man's
influence by describing the Pacific island of Guam, whose bird
population was wiped out following the accidental introduction of brown
tree snakes during the 1940s. Examples of species that were hunted to
extinction are the huia, the great auk and, most famously, the dodo.
However, there are conservation efforts being made, such as those for
Australia's orange-bellied parrot, the pink pigeon and the echo
parakeet (the latter two both of Mauritius).
"Birds were flying from continent to continent long before we were.
They reached the coldest place on Earth, Antarctica, long before we
did. They can survive in the hottest of deserts. Some can remain on the
wing for years at a time. They can girdle the globe. Now, we have taken
over the earth and the sea and the sky, but with skill and care and
knowledge, we can ensure that there is still a place on Earth for birds
in all their beauty and variety — if we want to… And surely, we should."
— David Attenborough, in closing
Technical Specs
Video Codec: DivX 5.1.1
Video Bitrate: 1762 kb/s
Video Resolution: 640x480
Video Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Audio Codec: ac3 (0x2000) Dolby Laboratories, Inc
Audio BitRate: 224 kb/s (112/ch, stereo) CBR
Audio Channels: 2
RunTime Per Part: ~50minutes
Number Of Parts: 10
Part Size: ~700MB
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