The myth that birds only sing for pleasure is destroyed as birdsongs become known as ways of communication.
The series begins with an in-depth look at flightless birds around the world.
1998 • Nature
The focus turns to the mastery of flight, from the science of gravity to the ability of birds to cover extremely long distances.
1998 • Nature
Discovering the role of beaks within various species of birds.
1998 • Nature
Birds eat more than berries; this episode takes a look at birds that eat meat.
1998 • Nature
Cameras follow birds as they dive into fresh and salt waters for their meals.
1998 • Nature
The myth that birds only sing for pleasure is destroyed as birdsongs become known as ways of communication.
1998 • Nature
Laying eggs and keeping nests are two things that keep birds grounded.
1998 • Nature
Raising children is no easier in the air as it is on the ground, as bird parents care for, defend, and even kill their young.
1998 • Nature
Left to their own devices, birds have reached almost all ends of the Earth - still, humans can do many things to help their feathered friends.
1998 • Nature
Tour the extraordinary wildlife and people of the Himalaya – the highest mountain range on earth. Bizarre snub-nosed monkeys live in frozen forests. Tibetan monks perform ancient rituals high in the mountains whilst snow leopards prowl the mountain sides.
S1E2 • Kingdoms of the Sky • 2021 • Nature
Professor Brian Cox follows Earth's epic journey through space. He takes to the air in a top-secret fighter jet to race the spin of the planet and reverse the passage of the day. In Brazil, a monstrous wave that surges up the Amazon River provides an epic ride of a different kind - chased by a top surfer through the rainforest, this tidal wave marks Earth's constant dance with the Moon. Greenland experiences some of the biggest swings in seasons in the world, but despite the deep freeze, the harsh winter brings opportunity to the Inuit people who live there. All this spectacle here on Earth signals that we are thundering through the universe at breakneck speed. Brian explains why we can't feel it and how understanding motion brings us to understanding the nature of space and time itself, leading to the astonishing conclusion that the past, present and future all exist right now.
Part 2 • Forces of Nature With Brian Cox • 2016 • Nature
The second episode of the documentary series takes a look at bizarre and extraordinary feathered dinosaurs, many of which have only just been discovered. These feathered beasts are revolutionising our understanding of life on Earth as they blur the boundaries between what we know of dinosaurs and birds. China sits at the heart of the feathered dinosaur discoveries and is the home of one of the most unusual discoveries on Earth: the epidexipteryx. Only the size of a pigeon, this predator was the most bird-like of any dinosaur and is the first known case of ornamental feathers. But feathers were not just confined to the small. From caudipteryx to sinosauropteryx and the 8-metre-long gigantoraptor, feathers may have been used for flight, for insulation or even to intimate and attract. These dinosaurs not only hint at how animals might have developed flight, but also suggest that dinosaurs may still live among us today - as birds.
2/6 • Planet Dinosaur • 2011 • Nature
On Christmas Island, the Spy Crab camera walks among red crabs as they march into the sea, and in Madagascar, cameras follow many of the species of chameleon that live there. Meanwhile on Seal island off the tip of South Africa, Spy Seal Pup finds itself in the midst of the 60,000 cape fur seals that have come ashore to raise their young.
S2E3 • Spy in the Wild • 2020 • Nature
Jungles are home to 80% of all species but they cover just 2% of the planet. When animals in these crowded forests want to mate, the challenge is how to stand out from the crowd.
S1E3 • The Mating Game • 2021 • Nature
The Andes is the longest mountain range in the world and home to astonishing hidden worlds, extraordinary animals and remarkable people. A female puma and her three cubs hunt in the mountains of the frozen south. Spectacled bears search for water on scorched mountain forests and the descendants of the Inca gather in an ancient ceremony to build a bridge made from woven grass. High in the cloud forest, a newly discovered shape-shifting frog baffles scientists with its superpowers and in the Atacama desert - the driest place in the world - strange reptiles battle for access to precious water. This is the mountain range of surprise and wonder.
3/3 • Mountain Life at the Extreme • 2017 • Nature