DVD BBC Life of Birds Disc 1: To Fly Or Not To Fly (2000)

BBC Life of Birds Disc 1: To Fly Or Not To Fly (2000)

Naturalist Sir David Attenborough presents a ten part study of "the life of birds," beginning with their origins and evolution and covering their life histories and abilities to adapt to nearly every environment. As is usual with Mr. Attenborough's productions, camera work is ground-breaking, and every continent is visited.

The history of birds, from the first flying reptiles to today's consummate navigators. From giant extinct flightless birds to modern ostriches and emus, see how birds have made a claim to populate not only the air but also the land.

Peter's DVD rating: 4.0 stars

This episode drags a bit towards the end, just listing many birds unique to New Zealand.

0:00 Sooty Terns 2:50 Red-tailed Hawk catches bats 4:20 Prairie Falcon eats on the wing
5:50 Bee eater catching bee. discharge sting, squirt venom 6:40 Dragonfly 7:00 Pterosaurs launch from cliffs like Gannets
9:00 Fossil feather 9:40 Fossil Archeaopteryx 11:00 Frilled Lizard ? (Australia)
11:45 Flying Lizard (Borneo) 12:40 Hoatzin chicks use claws on wings to climb out of water (Suth America) 15:30 Jacana
16:20 Andean Condor 16:40 Frigatebirds 17:30 Terror Bird
18:10 Ostrich: toes reduced to 2, vestigial filaments (barbules?), graze with beak, swallow pebbles 22:45 Snow Goose ? 23:15 Flightless Cormorant swimming underwater (Galapagos)
25:15 Kagu flightless, probably related to heron (New Caledonia) 26:10 Weka flightless rail (New Zealand) 27:50 New Zealand Pigeon, Saddleback, Tui, Kaka, Robin, are unafraid of mammals
29:30 New Zealand bird analogs of mammals: Kokako like squirrels: glide among trees, jump back up 31:30 Kiwi like a badger: dig for insects by smell, no tail 32:50 Kiwi feed on Sandhoppers at night
35:40 Moa had 3 toes, hunted by extinct Haast's Eagle 38:45 Takahe recovered from near extinction, feed on tussock grass 42:00 Kokako like rabbits, trample a track in vegetation; near extinction from cats in 1985
43:40 Kokako courtship ritual 47:55 Spotted shag 49:20 Wandering Albatross, Royal Albatross (New Zealand)
50:25 Cape Gannet colony nests on cliff (New Zealand) 50:45 Little Blue Penguins 51:10 Volcanoes, hot springs: Welcome Swallows
41:45 Blue Duck 52:15 Wrybill: beak bent to one side probes beneath pebbles 52:30 Black Stilt
52:50 Kia

2:50 Red-tailed Hawk
11:00 Frilled Lizard ?
12:40 Hoatzin

22:45 Snow Goose ?
29:30 Kokako
47:55 Spotted shag

50:25 Cape Gannet

Index Feb 1, 2008 Peter Chen.

0:00	Sooty Terns	2:50	Red-tailed Hawk catches bats	4:20	Prairie Falcon eats on the wing
5:50	Bee eater catching bee. discharge sting, squirt venom	6:40	Dragonfly	7:00	Pterosaurs launch from cliffs like Gannets
9:00	Fossil feather	9:40	Fossil Archeaopteryx	11:00	Frilled Lizard ? (Australia)
11:45	Flying Lizard (Borneo)	12:40	Hoatzin chicks use claws on wings to climb out of water (Suth America)	15:30	Jacana
16:20	Andean Condor	16:40	Frigatebirds	17:30	Terror Bird
18:10	Ostrich: toes reduced to 2, vestigial filaments (barbules?), graze with beak, swallow pebbles	22:45	Snow Goose ?	23:15	Flightless Cormorant swimming underwater (Galapagos)
25:15	Kagu flightless, probably related to heron (New Caledonia)	26:10	Weka flightless rail (New Zealand)	27:50	New Zealand Pigeon, Saddleback, Tui, Kaka, Robin, are unafraid of mammals
29:30	New Zealand bird analogs of mammals: Kokako like squirrels: glide among trees, jump back up	31:30	Kiwi like a badger: dig for insects by smell, no tail	32:50	Kiwi feed on Sandhoppers at night
35:40	Moa had 3 toes, hunted by extinct Haast's Eagle	38:45	Takahe recovered from near extinction, feed on tussock grass	42:00	Kokako like rabbits, trample a track in vegetation; near extinction from cats in 1985
43:40	Kokako courtship ritual	47:55	Spotted shag	49:20	Wandering Albatross, Royal Albatross (New Zealand)
50:25	Cape Gannet colony nests on cliff (New Zealand)	50:45	Little Blue Penguins	51:10	Volcanoes, hot springs: Welcome Swallows
41:45	Blue Duck	52:15	Wrybill: beak bent to one side probes beneath pebbles	52:30	Black Stilt
52:50	Kia

2:50 Red-tailed Hawk	11:00 Frilled Lizard ?	12:40 Hoatzin
22:45 Snow Goose ?	29:30 Kokako	47:55 Spotted shag
50:25 Cape Gannet