The Life of Birds (Repackaged) [DVD]

A near definitive account of bird behaviour.Following on from the well received Private Life of Plants (1994) The Life of Birds (1998) series continued Attenborough’s exploration of the natural world focusing exclusively on birds. The series contains 10 episodes packed onto 3 disks, each 50 minutes in length (to satisfy US broadcasters).My only real complaints about this dvd is the transfer quality which is far from great though perhaps an accurate portrait of 1990s digital photography. The colours are not very strong, quite pasty, the image is quite soft and the picture is rather grainy when featuring scenes filmed in low light.The only other issues are the score which is a slightly awkward transition from the 1980s symphonic sounds to the orchestral music were more used to today.Episode one features Attenborough not only introducing various birds to us but also tracing their evolutionary history, this features him visiting a couple of fossil sights as well as some rather dubious 1990s CGI. It’s a great educational lesson though and the image quality improves too as we transition into various close ups. The story of the kakapo is also told, there was something so sad about it’s demise that I could hardly think of something sadder that the last known male species at that time still climbing to the peaks of its Island calling for a mate until the end. There are also various attempts throughout episode one while telling the story to use as many modern examples as possible when describing various adaptations in their evolutionary story, this approach is very similar to Life on Earth (1979).Fishing for a Living is another of my favourite episodes. As Attenborough rightly points out most of the planet is covered in water so birds which can hunt in them may be able to find plenty of food. In this episode we meet dippers, kingfishers which can hover, as well as the humble mallard."Signals and Songs" is another very revealing episode focusing on the visual and audio displays used by birds to declare their territory and to attract a mate. Attenborough treks through woodland bringing down various finches to the ground to feed as well as tricking a woodpecker into revealing itself through an elaborate knocking game.

Another part of Sir David's Life series. Once again Sir David and the BBC have produced a fantastic insight into the natural world. As with all his series, this is interesting and enjoyable, with suberb filming, some of the best in the entire series.

i love this dvd boxset and so does my moggy. the similarities between birds and humans in their various behaviours as compared by sir david Attenborough are amazing and a lot of the programmes made me chuckle because of this. I would recommend this dvd set to people of all ages above say 7 years old because it shows birds mating albeit fleetingly, but it would depend on how individuals felt about their children watching something as normal and educating as to where we all come from.

An excellent in depth study of birds, their anatomy, how they developed, how they live. DA narrative as always very informative, interesting and pleasant to listen to. Good photography with wide range of birds covered. For those considering buying the "life" collection remember this dvd is also part of the "lie" collection so do not end up with two copies (as I did). Highly recommended.

When this was on TV, my cat got very excited & sat happily purring & watching it - after first circling the TV to see if she could get to the birds. I am not the sort of person who usually buys things for pets, except the usual cat toys but this is something I can put on during Bonfire Night/New Year's Eve, to distract kitty. Also handy to keep her in when I need to catch her for vet visits. Use sparingly for best effect. I also gave a copy to a friend - their budgie loves it.

I have never been to a psychiatrist, so I can't tell you why I like looking at birds. I just do. Even the ones I see on a day-to-day basis make me happy, so seeing the ones I don't ever get to see and having their behaviour explained, well it is a no brainer.Having seen birds in super high definition (on blu-ray disc) has made me a bit spoilt and I wish they would do it all again - only in the super format.This is the easiest buy you can make - like birds, have a DVD player and are not broke - just get it and watch it over and over...

.... For any David Attenbourgh, wildlife or bird fan.Photography of birds never filmed before or since, informative special effects and all presented by the wildlife legend himself. Even though it's now a few years old it still makes for compulsive viewing and despite having seen it more than once there are sences that make me catch my breath.I love this series, it is without doubt one of the best and the one David Attenbourgh claimed to have enjoyed making the most.

Bought for my husband as a gift and he loved it. Thinks that Sir David Attenborough is TOPS. He says that these programmes are a wonderful break from the repeats and "reality" day/evening TV and in this form are there to watch just when and as often as you want. Fully recommends for nature lovers everywhere.