The Story of Birds

Billions of birds share the planet with us.

With their flamboyant plumage and joyous dawn serenades, many of them are impossible to miss. But how did they get here, how did they break the bounds of Earth and begin to fly, and how does their legacy shape our world?

In this delightfully energetic romp through their 150-million-year history, expert palaeontologist Steve Brusatte traces the engrossing story of birds, from their origins among small carnivorous dinosaurs to the 10,000-plus species that thrive today. Along the way, we meet fantastic birds from around the world, some known only through fossils.

There are the elephant birds of Madagascar that stand as high as a basketball hoop and lay eggs as big as watermelons, Australian demon ducks that weigh more than cows, aeroplane-sized seabirds that soar the world's thermals, and predatory penguins the size of gorillas.

Lively, majestic and full of wonder, this evolutionary deep dive reveals how birds became some of the most well-adapted animals to ever exist in our world. The Story of Birds will ensure you never see them the same way again.