The Large Gulls of North America; The Life of Birds; Wildlife in My Window

For those whose knowledge of birds is limited to Alfred Hitchcock thrillers (The Birds), '60's rock bands (The Byrds), confusing sex education analogies (the birds and the bees), ubiquitous middle finger gestures (the bird), or famous feathered friends (such as Big Bird, Larry Bird, Lady Bird, Tweety Bird or Charlie Parker), wildlife expert Sir David Attenborough's 10-hour epic Life of Birds serves as a grand introduction to the real birds, nature's largest group of vertebrates.Filmed by the BBC over a period of three years at a cost of $12 million, Attenborough's exquisitely lensed survey employs the latest shutterbug technology--such as the starlight camera to record nocturnal bird habits--and computer modeling to recreate prehistoric precursors. In fact, in the opening episode, "To Fly or Not to Fly?", viewers may feel as if they've been plopped into the middle of David's brother Sir Richard's Jurassic Park, when David encounters the computer-animated fleshing out of a fossilized giant known simply (and appropriately) as the "Terror Bird." In addition to exploring the evolutionary dictates that caused some birds to take wing and others to waddle (such as the penguin), subsequent episodes look at the art of flying, the multitudinous eating habits of birds (meat, fish, insects, herbs), bird signals and songs, mating, and adaptations to harsh environments.Combining Attenborough's excellent in-the-field commentary (he made 70 filming trips to 42 countries) and extraordinary visuals of over 300 feathered species, The Life of Birds is that rara avis: a fine comprehensive treatment that manages to also be very entertaining. At only $18 per tape in the set, this little bird says "cheap cheap" and "highly recommended." Aud: J, H, C, P.For younger viewers, Wildlife in My Window, a 6-tape series produced by the World Bird Sanctuary, offers a kid-friendly introduction to ornithology. Running 12-19 minutes, each title focuses on a particular topic, such as Bird Migration, which combines commentary from bird guys Walter and Jeff, and the elementary school aged World Bird Players, to explore the concept of migration. Viewers will discover that the arctic tern logs about 25,000 frequent flier miles per annum in its round trip from North America to Antarctica, learn that birds don't always migrate because of cold (sometimes they are simply following the menu--it's their food that's on the move), and find out that birds migrate differently: by day or by night (or both), in a flock or alone, non-stop or including layovers. The other five titles in the series are: Bird Habitats, Bird Classification, Bird Adaptations, Bird Reproductive Systems and Bird Feeding/Watching. A comprehensive 90-page teacher's guide with vocabulary lists, word games and classroom activities is also included. Recommended. Aud: E, I.Finally, for the hardcore Jonathan Livingston Seagull fan, The Large Gulls of North America will forever silence the need to ask "J. Livingston, I presume?" since, after watching this detailed overview, viewers will be able to identify gulls on sight. The rather soft-spoken presenter Jon L. Dunn walks viewers through a field guide to 13 species of gull, including California, Herring, Western, Iceland, Yellow-Footed, and others, pointing out the evolution of feathers and colors from birth to adult (roughly three years). As always, with ready reference type materials, there's a trade-off: video is a poor format to use in the field while sighting birds, but the close-up real-life footage is often an improvement over the static pictures found in print guides. Either way, the next time we're driving along and the car is carpet-bombed, I can say to my family: "Isn't our little Hyundai versatile? We were just used as a toilet by a low-flying Thayer's gull." Optional. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)