Jonathan Elphick tells the remarkable story of the development of bird art through the centuries. The book features early, skilfully executed but often fanciful images of birds, scientific illustrations produced during the ages of exploration, and modern approaches capturing the essence of these freest of all creatures. This reduced size edition is chunky yet portable, and retains the lavish finish of the original gift book. The outstanding selection of images from the unrivalled collection at the Natural History Museum includes exquisitely crafted works from some of the most famous bird artists ever published including Audubon, Lear, MacGillivray and Gould.

This beautiful box set is drawn from the unrivalled collection of images at the Natural History Museum, London. It includes exquisitely crafted works from some of the most famous natural history artists ever published including Audubon, Gould, MacGillivray and Bauer. They are complemented by Jonathan Elphick's detailed text, which interweaves ornithological science, art history, biography and travel to create a vivid picture of the lives of both the artists and the birds they painted. Jonathan Elphick's book is accompanied by 36 stunning frameable prints (333 x 260 mm), pictured below, which have been reproduced directly from the original artworks held by the Museum.

Explore the wonders of the avian world with this comprehensive and fully illustrated guide to every aspect of bird life. Highly respected ornithologist and wildlife expert, Jonathan Elphick, begins by defining the distinguishing features of birds before going on to describe their evolution since the age of the dinosaurs. With the aid of fact boxes and clear photographs, he then explores in greater detail each of the significant elements of bird life: bird biology including anatomy, walking and swimming, plumage, calls and songs; flight techniques and styles; food and feeding; bird lifestyles and social relationships; breeding, growth and development; bird geography and habitats; and the mysteries of migration. He also considers human attitudes towards birds through the ages. With special photography from award-winning wildlife photographer David Tipling and many other top bird photographers, this book is a unique insight into the world of birds and essential reading for all ornithologists, bird watchers and natural history enthusiasts.

What's the difference between a swallow and a swift? How many species of ducks, penguins, owls or thrushes are there? Which is the rarest parrot or the most endangered hummingbird? What do toucans eat? Discover all the key facts about the world's orders and families of birds with this ultimate handbook. Expert ornithologist Jonathan Elphick provides a comprehensive survey of every one of the 36 orders and 234 families of birds, revealing their remarkable diversity, appearance, behaviour and lifestyle. With clear, lively text, informative fact boxes that include the latest research and data, and special photography from award-winning wildlife photographers such as David Tipling, The Handbook of Bird Families belongs on the shelf of everyone interested in birds.