There are 10,500 species of bird worldwide and wherever they occur people marvel at their glorious colours and their beautiful songs. We also trap and consume birds of every kind.Yet birds have not just been good to eat. Their feathers, which keep us warm or adorn our costumes, give birds unique mastery over the heavens. Throughout history their flight has inspired the human imagination so that birds are embedded in our religions, folklore, music and arts.

Introduction 9

Tlnamous Tinamidae 13

Ostriches Struthionidae 13

Rheas Rheidae 18

Cassowaries Casuariidae 19

Emu Dromoiidae 23

Elephant Birds Aepyomithidae 26

Moas Dinomithidoe 27

Kiwis Apterygidoe 28

Megapodes Megopodiidae 30

Chachalacas, Curassows and Guans Croddoe 34

Gulneafowl Numididoe 36

New World Qualls Odontophoridoe Pheasants, Fowl and AHies Phasionidoe Screamers Anhimidoe 39

Ducks, Geese and Swans Anotidae Penguins 79

Spheniscidoe 80

Loons (Divers) Goviidoe 92

Albatrosses Diomedeidoe 97

Petrels and Shearwaten Procelloriidoe Storm Petrels 98

Hydrobotidoe 104

Diving Petrels Peleconoididae 110

Grebes Podidpedidae 113

Flamingos Phoenicopteridae 113

Storks Oconiidoe 115

Ibises and Spoonbills Threskiomithidoe Herons and Bitterns Ardeidae 125

Troplcblrds Phoethontidae 129

Frtgateblrds Fregotidoe 135

Hamerkop Scopidoe 136

Pelicans Peleconidoe 137

Gannets and Boobies Sulidae 140

Cormorants Pholocrocoroddae 144

Anhlngas Anhingidoe 149

Birds of Prey Cathortidae, Folconidoe and Accipitridae 152

Bustards Otidoe 170

S ertemas Cariomidae 174

Kagu Rhynochetidae 175

Sunblttem Eurypygidae 175

Ralls, Crakes and Coots Rallidae 177

Flnfoots Heliornithidae 182

Trumpeters Psophiidae 182

Cranes Gruidae 183

Llmpkln Aramidae 193

Stone-curlews and Thick-knees Burh,nidae 194

Sheathbllls Chionidoe 196

Oystercatchers Hoemotopodidae 197

Stilts and Avocets Recurvirostndoe 198

Plovers Chorodriidoe 199

Jacanas Joconidoe 204

Sandpipers and Snipe Scolopocidoe 205

Coursers and Pratincoles Gloreolidoe 216

Gulls and Terns Loridoe 217

Skuas Stercororiidoe 222

Auks Alcidae 224

Sandgrouse Pteroc/ididae 229

Pigeons and Doves Columbidoe 231

Cockatoos and Parrots Psittocidoe 246

Hoatzln Opisthocomidoe 259

Turacos Musophogidoe 260

Cuckoos Cuculidoe 263

Bam Owls Tytonidoe and Owls Strig,dae 271

Frogmouths Podorgidoe 282

Ollblrd Steotornithidoe 282

Potoos Nyctibiidoe 283

Nlghtjan Coprimulgidoe 285

Swifts Apodidoe 291

Hummingbirds Trochilidoe 2S9

Mouseblrds Coliidae 307

Trogons Trogonidoe 309

Rollen Corociidoe 312

Kingfishers Alced1nidoe 314

Motmots Momotidoe 320

Bee-eaters Meropidae 321

Hoopoe Upupidoe 323

Mark Cocker is an author, naturalist and environmental activist whose eleven books include works of biography, history, literary criticism and memoir. His book Crow Country was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize in 2008 and won the New Angle Prize for Literature in 2009. With the photographer David Tipling he published Birds and People in 2013, a massive survey.

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