Reviews & Ratings for
"The Life of Birds" More at IMDbPro »

11 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
One of the greatest documentary series of all time..., 20 July 2006

Author: ackstasis from Australia

When it comes to producing wildlife documentaries, none do it better than wildlife veteran Sir David Attenborough. Afterall, his list of achievements is impeccable- 'The Life of Birds,''The Life of Mammals,' 'The Private Life of Plants,' 'Life in the Undergrowth,' 'Life in the Freezer,' 'The Trials of Life' and 'The Blue Planet'

'The Life of Birds' is among Attenborough's best. This ten-part documentary series, presented by Attenborough himself, is a comprehensive and richly detailed study of birds, examining the variety of different species and their ways of life.

The wildlife photography is simply breathtaking, and the viewer is often confronted with avian species they have never even heard of before, let alone seen on film. Every aspect of bird behaviour is explored, including the evolutionary origins of the birds, mating rituals, hunting tactics, feeding habits and threats to many species' survival.

'The Life of Birds' is the most comprehensive documentary study of avian life ever produced, and the series borders on sheer perfection...

5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Has David Attenbourough ever done us wrong?, 25 August 2007

Author: machngunjoe from United States

It is always easy to comment on these documentary's. David Attenbourough is simply the best naturalist their is, not only because of his witty charm and extremely interesting information, but it is his voice. A voice that I myself used to grow up with on Saturday mornings "Nature" when their used to be education on TV, not the Digimon/Pokemon Crap they have now.

This particular series is exceptional because along with his useful commentary the producers add in a number of special camera's to see the things that humans almost never get to see. Also animation against live backdrops of what pre-historic birds might have looked based on fossil research. I never had such admiration of birds until I saw this documentary. It is a must see

6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
A highly enjoyable documentary for the casual viewer, 12 December 2002
Author: pksky1 from Northern California

It is really hard to suggest that somebody who is just looking for entertainment see a documentary, but this would be worth looking at. It's not to be viewed in one sitting, it is in several parts, but David Attenborough helps to make the whole trip worth while. The subject is very skillfully played out in a variety of settings and subjects with the occasional special effect.

In the US, it might be found at your local library which is where I found it.

4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Enthralling documentary, 13 June 2004
Author: Harish Balasubramaniam from Sunnyvale, US

Though I was/am not a great nature lover, this series succeeded in keeping me interested right throughout with its excellent commentary (credit to Attenborough). The documentary covers the origins, types( sea/land, veg/meat-eating), acquisition of food, communication methods, mating rituals, laying of eggs, raising family, and finally dangers to its existence in modern world.

Except the goose and swans, most of them seem are prone to either infidelity/polygamous relationships or seasonal relationships, treacherous behaviour to obtain food etc. And all of them are territorial.

Some of the stuff which was fascinating:

-how the bower birds decorate their nests to attract mates

-polygamous birds especially the sparrow .

-how one mother bird (cant remember which one) kills one of its weakest child for survival

-how a crow breaks a nut in middle of a busy Tokyo city street

Not much is covered on migrant birds behaviors. For that I would recommend the movie 'The winged migration'.

A Masterpiece among Documentaries, 22 November 2006

Author: ecobird from United States

Sir David Attenborough always makes natural history so fascinating, the Life of Birds is no exception.With excellent narration and the incredible footage, he takes viewers all over the globe observing the life-styles and behavior of birds. With a dash of humor here, a tiny amount of suspense there,Sir David Attenborough draws us in with his genuine fascination of each bird species.

Also, the order in which they are presented is just incredible. The series starts from the birds aerial accomplishment of flight and ends with their struggle to survive in the modern world. Every birder, conservationist and environmentalist should watch this series.

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