THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD OF BIRDS

DISCOVER THE AMAZING AVIANS JUST OUTSIDE YOUR WINDOW

DAVID LINDO

ILLUSTRATOR CLAIRE MCELFATRICK PUBLISHER DK

PRICE £14.99 / $16.99

RELEASE 3 MARCH

If you know nothing about the evolutionary origins of modern birds, then the following could be considered a bit of a spoiler for David Lindo’s The Extraordinary Life of Birds: they evolved from dinosaurs. Every single species of bird you see today, from tiny finches and hummingbirds to huge ostriches, soaring eagles, chickens and penguins, are descended from a group of dinosaurs called theropods, which included the Tyrannosaurus rex.

It’s a mind-blowing fact to open this book to for anyone who had no idea about it, and it really sets the tone for the rest of The Extraordinary Life of Birds because after that, you can’t help but compare what you know about dinosaurs to the detailed information on the lives of birds from around the world. Both dinosaurs and birds laid eggs that they had to incubate until their young hatched, for example. Some dinosaurs had feathers, many roamed in great herds like the flocks of birds you see today and some birds even look like they could have been plucked from a prehistoric era. If you’ve ever encountered a cassowary or an emu in a zoo, or have been lucky enough to get close to the likes of a golden eagle, you’ll know what we mean.

Lindo walks us through the different behaviours of birds from across the world, discussing how and why birds sing and flock, how they fly and, in the case of a handful of bird species, why they can’t fly. He also delves into peculiar characteristics of specific species, like the crowned sandgrouse, which lives in dry desert conditions and avoids areas with plants where predators lie in wait. Or the herring gull, which dive bombs intruders that stray close to its nest, and given the chance will poop on them. Accompanied throughout by Claire Mcelfatrick’s wonderfully detailed illustrations, The Extraordinary Life of Birds signs off with a guide to how you can help wild birds in your garden or local park. It’s a great way to introduce budding ornithologists to what could be a lifelong interest in our feathered friends.

Lindo walks us through the different behaviours of birds from across the world