NATURE’s special presentation of "Best Of Birds" is a compilation of the most compelling, emotional and even humorous stories about bird intelligence, behavior, relationships and flight drawn from the series’ extensive archives. Introduced by NATURE’s executive producer Fred Kaufman, "Best Of Birds" presents excerpts from 16 notable programs and airs in December on PBS.
Among the selected films is “An Original DUCKumentary” which features such memorable scenes as tiny ducklings breaking through their shells in their first few moments of life and, a day later, upon hearing their mother’s call, instinctively jumping out of a tall oak tree to join her on the ground far below.
In an excerpt from “My Life As A Turkey,” naturalist Joe Hutto describes how it felt to see a young poult emerge from its shell and look him straight in the eye when Hutto made the same turkey-like sound he had been making to the egg before it hatched. His moving story of imprinting with a clutch of young turkeys in Central Florida also touches upon examples of their intelligence.
Rockhoppercams, eggcams and even rockcams film a humorous sequence from “Penguins: Spy In The Huddle” as a jealous female rockhopper penguin returns from the sea only to find her mate mistakenly wooing an animatronic camera disguised as a life-size member of the colony.
Precision diving by osprey in pursuit of fish and how they manage to get back up into the air is captured and explained in a scene from “Moment Of Impact.” Meanwhile, the sophisticated cameras of “Earthflight” show gannets arrow-diving into the waters off the South African coast, dodging sharks and whales in their pursuit of the great sardine run.
"Best Of Birds" also includes a segment from “Hummingbirds: Magic In The Air” about Ecuador’s sword-billed hummingbird, showing why its four-inch bill is longer than its body.
A clip from “Deep Jungle” showcases the talents of the red-capped manakin, whose ritual includes the only known case of birds moonwalking; while in “What Females Want and Males Will Do,” the male superb lyrebird is shown copying any sound it hears whether natural or man-made. These include a set of human footsteps, a click of a camera and even the screech of a car’s brakes.
NATURE is a production of THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET. For NATURE, Fred Kaufman is executive producer. "Best Of Birds" is a production of THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET.
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Best of Birds Preview
"Best of Birds. Wednesday
"NATURE "An Original DUCKumentary" full ep"
"NATURE "An Original DUCKumentary" full-length episode. Premieres Wednesday
"NATURE "My Life as a Turkey"
"NATURE "My Life as a Turkey" full-length episode"
Penguins: Spy in the Huddle - Part 1
"For nearly a year
Rockhopper Penguins Make Landfall
Rockhopper penguins brave crashing waves to reach their breeding grounds in the Falkland Islands.
Earthflight: South America - Preview
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Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air
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Nature: What Females Want...and Males Will Do
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A Murder of Crows
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