Bird of the Week

The Birds-of-Paradise

Bird of the Week Season 1 Episode 9

In New Guinea there is a family of birds that has captured the imagination of naturalists and ornithologists for hundreds of years. They are the Birds-of-Paradise, and when it comes to sheer beauty they are unrivalled in avian world. Not only are they beautiful, but they possess feathers that other birds just don't have: crests, epaulets, flank plumes and tails so exaggerated as to make a Peacock blush. Yet, it has only been in recent years that we have come to understand how these birds use their feathers, and what forces drove them to become so splendid. Join me as we crack the mystery and explore the most remarkable family of birds on earth.