It is hardly surprising that human beings have studied birds with a greater dedication and intensity than they have lavished on any other group of animal, notes David Attenborough at the outset of this profusely illustrated companion to the 1998 PBS series. Trekking through rain forests and deserts, city streets and the Antarctic, the venerable naturalist presents an illuminating panorama of every aspect of birds' lives. Included here are the albatross, which can soar for hours without flapping its wings; the mighty emu, which can outrun predators in its native Australia; and the swift, which eats, sleeps, and mates in midair.