Extreme Birds: The World's Most Extraordinary and Bizarre Birds [Hardcover]

Dominic Couzens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 10, 2008

A photographic showcase of 150 birds at the extremes of nature.

Extreme Birds reveals nature's ingenuity and sometimes its sense of humor. The species showcased in this book are chosen for their extraordinary characteristics and for behaviors far beyond the typical. They are the biggest, the fastest, the meanest, the smartest. They build the most intricate nests, they have the most peculiar mating rituals, and they dive the deepest or fly the highest. These are the overachievers of the avian world.

Some examples:

• Most skilled nest builder: The tiny southern masked weaver reveals a surprising grasp of the principles of architecture. In just five days it weaves and knots thousands of fine grass strands to build a complex sphere-like nest that hangs from the tip of an overhead branch.
• Deadliest enemy: The southern cassowary is big (140 pounds), tall (6 feet) and fast (30 mph). This flightless bird can also leap 5 feet into the air and has 5-inch long claws that are capable of stabbing and disemboweling a human being.
• Most creative decorator: The blue bower bird creates an elaborate "bachelor pad" bower and decorates it with colorful baubles, blue preferred and the shinier the better.

Enlivened with entertaining facts and anecdotes, Extreme Birds is an engaging celebration of nature's enormous imagination and will appeal to all readers, especially birders and naturalists.

(20090228)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Couzens, a British birder and author (Collins Birds, 2005), has collected a wonderful potpourri of bird superlatives. As he points out in his introduction, birds are more constrained than other animals by their physiological and physical adaptations for flight and yet are still able to take their bodies and behaviors to amazing extremes. Dividing these extremes into four areas—form, ability, behavior, and family life—the author presents portraits and accompanying descriptions of more than 130 species, all of whom are in some degree extreme. Many might know that the wandering albatross has the widest wingspan, but who has the longest legs (lesser flamingo) or the biggest mouth (tawny frogmouth)? Which birds are the fastest swimmers (penguins) or travel the longest nonstop journey (bar-tailed godwit)? How about the best fly-fisher (green heron) or the best soap-opera life (white-fronted bee eater)? And who is the hardest-working male (northern harrier) or makes the warmest nest (northern eider)? Fascinating facts and beautiful photography make this one a winner. --Nancy Bent

Review

The superlatives of the feathered world, including "cleverest hunter" and "best drummer. (Science News 20081206)

Showcases the extreme forms, abilities, behavior and survival techniques in this oversize volume with full-page color photographs. (SciTech Book News 200912)

A wonderful collection of bird superlatives... Fascinating facts and beautiful photographs make this one a winner. (Nancy Bent Library Journal 20081213)

Anyone interested in bird trivia will enjoy this coffee table book. (Birdbooker Report 39 livingthescientific.com 2009)

This is a perfect book for nature-loving kids and adults who may -- or may not -- be avid birders. (Val Cunningham Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN 201006)

Open any page in Extreme Birds and you'll see them in a whole new light...These are truly amazing birds. (Johanna Weidner Grand Magazine 2008)

Anyone interested in bird trivia will enjoy this coffee table book. (Scientific Life (Birdbooker Report 39) 20110205)

From colorful to bizarre, the world of birds is very strange indeed. (C.A. Boylan Shutterbug 201103)

Dominic Couzens enthralls the reader with Extreme Birds and the subtitle is accurate.... a veritable Guinness book of Avian Records. (Jodi DeLong Chronicle Herald )

Sure to be examined by everyone in the family because the information is presented in such a reader-friendly way. (Waterloo Region Record/Guelph Mercury )

Interesting, accurate, and up to date with recent discoveries.... Lavish photography completes this book, which will have a wide appeal. (Charles Leck American Reference Book Annual )

Hooked!...I usually read bird books to learn something...I read this book because it is fun. Even non-birder trivia fans will get great enjoyment. (Roy John The Canadian Field-Naturalist, Vol. 121 )

A great book full of interesting facts about 135 of the extremest birds in the world. (Wildlife Activist )

Large and impressive photographs... often with a humorous slant, but there is plenty of good science as well (M. G. Wilson IBIS, British Ornithologists' Union )

Beautiful colour photographs coupled with interesting facts and trivia make... a must see! (Ontario Library Association )

This is a beautifully illustrated account of over 130 species of birds and their associated morphologies and behaviors. (Muir Eaton, Biology, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa Quarterly Review of Biology )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books (October 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1554074231
• ISBN-13: 978-1554074235
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 10.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #364,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Stunning Tribute to Extraordinary Birds!, March 7, 2009

By 

Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Extreme Birds: The World's Most Extraordinary and Bizarre Birds (Hardcover)

Noted bird author/authority Dominic Couzens and Firefly Books have combined to produce this drop-dead gorgeous photo and word tribute to some of our world's most exotic, unique and/or downright strange birds. Whether you're a rabid birder or just love to look at lovely, over-size pix of birds, you'll enjoy this book.

EXTREME BIRDS tops out at 287 pages and is divided into categories: Extreme Form; Extreme Ability; Extreme Behavior; and Extreme Families. Paging through "Extreme Forms," you find birds with the widest wingspan, the biggest eyes, the strongest claws, the lightest bones, the longest tongue and the biggest belly. Under "Extreme Ability," you'll come across birds that are rated as the fastest swimmer, have the fastest wing beat, are the biggest binge eaters, the most prolific breeders and the best mimic. Checking out "Extreme Behavior" will produce info and photos relating to the cleverest hunter, the smartest scrounger, the craziest suitor and the best avian soap opera. Entries in "Extreme Familiies" include shortest courtship, sneakiest bigamist, warmest nest, bravest chick, fiercest defender of the nest and so on. All wonderfully entertaining and informative!

The photographs that illustrate these notable birds are from a variety of agencies such as Foto Natura, FLPA, Minden Pictures, Photolibrary, Panda Photo and other sources. Simply put, the photos in EXTREME BIRDS are magnificent - crisp, colorful, evocative and altogether charming.

All in all, Dominic Couzens' book is a marvelous photo-guide to some of our more noteworthy feathered friends. Highly recommended.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than expected, October 27, 2009

By 

Diana L. Gross (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Extreme Birds: The World's Most Extraordinary and Bizarre Birds (Hardcover)

Very large book with beautiful pictures. Even more fantastic than I expected. A great book for anyone who is fasinated by the bird world or even those who are not fasinated. Interesting, educational, and entertaining. Love it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond just the name, March 6, 2010

By 

Himri "Himri" (Tempe, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Extreme Birds: The World's Most Extraordinary and Bizarre Birds (Hardcover)

I recognised the bird on the cover as a shoebird from a national geographic article but didnt know that it was the 'most patient feeder'. This book is about the record holders. If it were just that it could have come out on cards with stats. The book is at its best with its explanation for flamingo's long legs, ostriches large eyes, jacana's spread out toes tied to their environment.
The literature goes into more depth about say a humming bird's flight with its digits beyond the fast wing-beat rate. Having seen the shorebirds always on ground, looking at a picture of godwits in flight, it came as a surprise to me that they and plovers migrate so far.
'Biggest communal nest' of sociable weaver had me thinking of beaver's house.