A fully updated new edition of David Attenborough’s bestselling classic.

BIRDS. 11,000 species, the most widespread of all animals: on icebergs, in the Sahara or under the sea, at home in our gardens or flying for over a year at a time. Earthbound, we can only look and listen, enjoying their lightness, freedom and richness of plumage and song.

David Attenborough has been watching and learning all his life. His classic book, now fully updated with the latest discoveries in ornithology, is a brilliant introduction to bird behaviours around the world: what they do and why they do it. He looks at each step in birds' lives and the problems they have to solve: learning to fly; finding food; communicating; mating and caring for nests, eggs and young; migrating; facing dangers and surviving harsh conditions.

Sir David has no equal in helping others to learn and making it exciting. His curiosity and enjoyment are infectious. He shows the lifelong pleasure that birds around us offer, and how much we miss if unaware of them.

As the Sunday Times bestselling author, Attenborough's expertise in natural sciences and birdwatching is evident in this top non-fiction book. His infectious curiosity and enjoyment of nature guide readers through the history and ecology of birds, making it a must-read for anyone interested in zoology.

For fans of Neil Gartshore (The Birdwatcher's Yearbook 2024), Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock (The Sky at Night), Chloé Valerie Harmsworth (The Secret Life of Birds of Prey), Chris Packham (Earth), and Monty Don (The Gardening Book).

HarperCollins 2024