David Attenborough selects his desert island discs for 4th time.

For the 70th anniversary edition of Desert Island Discs Kirsty Young invited Sir David Attenborough to make his fourth appearance on the show.  He was first invited to select which tracks he'd take to a desert island in 1957 by the original host Roy Plomley. Almost every track from his five appearances have been classical compositions including 'The Bell Bird' by Francisco Yglesia,  'The Fire Bird' by Igor Stravinsky and 'Spring Symphony' by Benjamin Britten, and surprisingly 'The Lord is my light' by Handel, chosen in 1979.

David Attenborough has seen more of the world than anyone else who has ever lived - he's visited the north and south poles and witnessed most of the life in-between - from the birds in the canopies of tropical rainforests to giant earthworms in Australia. But despite his extraordinary travels, there is one part of the globe that's eluded him. As a young man and a keen rock-climber, he yearned to conquer the highest peak in the world.

"I won't make it now - I won't make it to base camp now - but as a teenager, I thought that the only thing a red-blooded Englishman really should do was to climb Everest." - Sir David Attenborough.

Download the MP3 here
Listen to the show on the BBC iPlayer

 David Attenborough with Kirsty Young (BBC)

Sir David's 3rd appearance in 1998

In December 1998 David Attenborough made his third appearance on Desert Island Discs with Sue Lawley. As she introduced him "He brought the blue-footed booby into our sitting rooms, and revealed the secret lives of plants. But we remember him best caught in the embrace of a female gorilla."

Download the MP3 here
Listen to the show on the BBC iPlayer

Attenborough's annual 3D spectacular - King Penguins - New Years Eve, Sky3D @sky1insider

The Bachelor King, New Years Eve, 8pm on SKY 3D.

Stunning 3D cinematography takes us into an extraordinary sub-Antarctic island, home to majestic albatrosses, brawling elephant seals - and six million penguins. Though our hero’s harsh world may be alien to our day-to-day lives, his struggle will be familiar to us all.

The last 3D wildlife film that Atlantic Productions produced for Sky 'Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough' was missed by most of Britain when it was broadcast on Christmas day 2009 (less than 70,000 viewers had Sky 3D - compare that to the 12 million that watched Frozen Planet) - but Atlantic did win a Bafta for it.

This new years eve Sky continue to establish themselves as the home of an annual 3D fiesta for geared-up wildlife watchers. With 'The Bachelor King', a tale of king penguins on an Antarctic island, Sky have cleverly jumped into the wake of the BBC series 'Frozen Planet',  which was also presented by David Attenborough. With more 3D TV's in British homes (the number of Sky 3D subscribers could now be as many as 200,000)  'The Bachelor King' might get a few more goggle-eyed viewers tuning in.  Alternatively, there will be a 2D broadcast - date to be confirmed. 

Two more David Attenborough Sky 3D wildlife films are already in production and due to air in 2012 - Kingdom of Plants 3D, a series based at Kew Gardens, and a three part 3D series on the Galapagos. 

I may be  a little biased, but could Sky be getting inspiration from some of the BBC's most successful series such as 'Life of Plants' and the 3 part series from 2006 'Galapagos'? I look forward to seeing how these Sky 3D productions fare against some of the most beautiful and well crafted BBC 2D wildlife series ever produced.

Interview with David Attenborough - Why penguins? Why 3D?



An Epic Tale

This is the journey of a typical King Penguin from awkward adolescent to adult. 

Three years ago, The Bachelor King left home. He partied at sea - he adventured, he matured. And now he is returning to the place where he was born and raised: Penguin City. This is one of the most densely-packed, sought-after pieces of real estate in the entire southern hemisphere and somehow he must establish his own place in it. He must find a mate. He wants to be a dad.

But how? What follows is a journey through the most challenging time of the Bachelor King's life. There is joy and terror, a ton of hard work - and some laughs. Our hero has to grow up fast. He meets the penguin of his dreams, and together they set out to raise a family. Before long, they have their egg. The two of them take turns to nurture it – one incubating, while the other zooms off to sea to find food. And then, one happy day, their chick hatches. And the hard work really begins...

Find out more about The Bachelor King and how it was made on the Sky website.

Strictly Come Prancing? BBC wildlife presenters do the Elf dance - Starring David Attenborough, Backshall, Packham, Dilger & McGavin.

*This is an unofficial creation and is independent of the BBC* Created using www.Elfyourself.com

Featuring some of my favourite BBC Wildlife presenters - David Attenborough, Chris Packham, Steve Backshall, George McGavin, Mike Dilger.

Have a Wild Christmas
- Paul

Sir David Attenborough for Christmas No1 - A Wonderful World

This gets my vote for Christmas number 1 (although I'm also backing the military wives). Sir David Attenborough, the voice of wildlife, gives his unique perspective on the wonders of our world. Beautiful, epic, and timely, following last nights episode of Frozen Planet in which David explained the consequences of climate change. 'On Thin Ice' revealed an alarming prediction - that by 2020 the Arctic will have completely melted.

What a wonderful world it is - let us protect it for ourselves and for all life on earth. 

Dung carpets to prissy bower birds - Attenborough's Animal Architects on BBC2

Animal House, 8pm BBC2, 7th September

David attenborough delves into the world of animal high rises and subway systems to show us that animals are way ahead when it comes to modifying the world around them. From prissy Bower Birds who constantly decorate and tidy up every inch of their nest, to hornets who build electric central heating systems. Now if all this talk of DIY is making you feel hungry then consider the burrowing owl  He flys miles to collect cow dung in just the right condition to carpet the entrance to his burrow with - there's no complaining from the family though as droves of juicy bite-size beetles are attracted by the pong. If you prefer a less crunchy meal then the home of  the star nosed mole could be just the ticket - it's built so that tasty worms literally drop in for dinner. To find out how watch 'Animal House' on BBC 2 tonight.

'Delightful film’, 'breathtaking footage'  - Wildlife Magazine

Producer: Mark Fletcher

Series Editor: Steve Greenwood

Executive Producer: Chris Cole

 Sir David Attenborough visits the decorated nest of a bower bird (Photo: BBC)

The real Dave channel? David Attenborough @eden_TV #AskAttenborough

Ask Attenborough, Monday 27th June at 7pm

Eden Channel, 532 on Sky/HD or 208 on Virgin Media

Last week I was invited to be part of a small studio audience during an exclusive question and answer session with Sir David Attenborough called 'Ask Attenborough'. This was a chance to celebrate and question the man who has been the voice of natural history TV for more than 50 years. The event was broadcast live on the eden channel website to over a million people around the world. You can watch the highlights below.

Is eden the real Dave channel?

The eden TV channel is fast becoming for wildlife, what Dave is for witty banter. In fact if the name wasn't already taken, eden might just as well have called itself Dave in recognition of the man who is the face and voice of the channel. Sadly Dave had been christened in 2007 -  a new name for UKTVG2. It wasn't until 2009 when TV execs of UKTV Documentary finally realised that their channels name was also a bit dull. As it was impossible to find anyone else as worthy as Sir David, to name the channel after, it was decided to call it eden - an appropriate home for what many call the voice of god. With this new name came a regular and reliable lineup of Sir David Attenborough's top hits - Life of Mammals, Life of Birds, Life in the Freezer... Now, if you've had enough of Jeremy Clarkson wattling on about the price of fuel on Dave, you can just press 532 on Sky/HD or 208 on Virgin Media, and relax to assuring tones while you witness the finest spectacles of nature (ofcourse most of the programmes are re-runs of BBC documentaries).

So after 2 years of working to make eden the go-to place for your Attenborough fix, this event meant a lot to the channel, and it meant a lot for me to be a part of it. Although I have worked with Sir David it's always a pleasure to see him, and be inspired by his insatiable appetite to learn, and to share knowledge of the natural world.

Fossils Don't Burn!

I was given a prime position, in the front row, and I was allowed to ask Sir David a question. One thing came immediately to mind, it was from the first time I visited him at his home in Richmond whilst making Life in Cold Blood. He knew that I was a palaeontologist and so the first thing he did, after greeting me and the crew, was to take me over to one of his cabinets from which he uncovered some of his fossil collection. Thrusting a range of peculiar items into my hands, one by one, he asked me to identify them. Most of which I thankfully guessed correctly, but I have to admit that I failed when it came to the coprolite - dinosaur poo. Since then I've built up my own collection of curios and enjoy playing the same game with my visitors!

So my question was...

'You famously have a collection of historical artifacts, fossils and other curios but if your house was burning down what would you save and why?' he laughed and said 'He'd rescue the family album because fossils don't burn!'

 

The eden channel kindly sent me a selection of some of the highlights. You can watch the full version on eden, Monday 27th June at 7pm.

Ben Fogle takes questions from the audience - Images copyright of Eden

#AskAttenborough LIVE Q&As with Sir David Attenborough @Eden_TV

Ask Attenborough Live!

I'm excited to have been invited to blog and tweet from a very special broadcast at the London Science Museum. A LIVE Q & A session with Sir David Attenborough. This exclusive and unique event will be streamed live on Edens website and on Facebook at 7pm on the 31st May. It's your chance to meet the man, who for more than 50 years, has been the voice of natural history programmes. If you have a question that you've been itching to ask, then this is your chance.

Send questions via Twitter using #AskAttenborough, or visit the site here.

David Attenborough's Flying Monsters wins Bafta & hits the very big screen

At this years Bafta television awards the gong for Best Specialist Factual deservedly went to Atlantic Productions for Sir David Attenborough's Flying Monsters 3D, which helped to launch Sky3D in December 2010. This is the first time a 3D programme has been celebrated by BAFTA. You can watch the acceptance speech on the Bafta website

The previous time David Attenborough won a Bafta was in 2008 for the series I had the privilege to work on - Life in Cold Blood (you can watch that acceptance here). As Atlantic Productions producer Anthony Geffen commented - David Attenborough has now won Baftas for programmes in black and white, colour, high definition and now 3D and that that would never be equalled.

In an interview with Zoe Ball following the award, David alluded to a new project he is working on with Atlantic, involving timelapses of plants growing in 3D. Could it be that he's planning to use 3D to recapture the wonder of his 1995 BBC series The Private Life of Plants? He's also working on Penguins 3D 'A dramatic look into the world of King penguins, the film promises romance, in-fighting and high drama, all set on the spectacular and uninhabited island of South Georgia' (read more here). 

You can now watch Flying Monsters in all its 3D glory at IMAX cinemas.

In Flying Monsters 3D, Sir David Attenborough the world’s leading naturalist, sets out to uncover the truth about the enigmatic pterosaurs, whose wingspans of up to 40 feet were equal to that of a modern day jet plane. The central question and one of the greatest mysteries in palaeontology is: how and why did pterosaurs fly? How did creatures the size of giraffes defy gravity and soar through prehistoric skies?

Chris Packham's First British Beaver & Attenborough on Harry Hill

Harry Hill does David Attenborough & 'Life in Cold Blood'

You know you've made it big when Harry Hill takes the mick out of your film. On 'Life in Cold Blood' we waited in anticipation every week and sure enough Harry didn't fail to deliver. Throwing a bucket of water over an Attenborough look-alike as he sat watching Giant Turtles mate. An Attenborough look-alike having a bath when a giant wasp flies over to try and grab him... the latter clip in reference to one line in the script in which David, talking about developing tree-frog tadpoles, says that 'when it 's a choice between being carried off by a wasp or an early bath, there's no competition'. The list went on.

'My First British Beaver' - Chris Packham, Animal's Guide

It was only on the night of the broadcast of 'Animal's Guide to Britain', after receiving endless tweets and texts, did I realise just how much innuendo was in the film. Unavoidable really when talking about Beavers.

Sadly Harry Hill seems to not be on TV at the mo so that's a damp squib. However the folks over at Radio 1 had a school-boy giggle. They sent me this clip from yesterdays 'Innuendo Bingo' on the Scott Mills show - 'Beaver sound bite' from my episode of 'Animals Guide to Britain' not quite the genius of Harry but made me chuckle...

If you're slightly immature then you can watch the whole innuendo-laced clip, from programme 1 of 'The Animal's Guide' here:

David Attenborough & Brian Cox Vs Tyson - What I'm missing on British TV

I'm in the woods of Northern Maine filming Lynx, Deer and Moose. The only thing I'm missing, other than my fiancee, is British TV... and I can't wait to watch 'Attenborough and the Giant Egg'. I saw a preview of this film before I flew to the US and I was completely absorbed in the story, I could have watched the whole thing then and there.

In 1960 David Attenborough visited Madagascar to film one of his first ever wildlife series, Zoo Quest. Whilst he was there, he acquired a giant egg. It was the egg of an extinct bird known as the 'elephant bird' - the largest bird that ever lived. It has been one of his most treasured possessions ever since. Fifty years later, he now returns to the island to find out more about this amazing creature and to see how the Madagascar has changed.

Read more on the BBC programme page

Attenborough and the Giant Egg was broadcast on BBC Two on the 2nd March. If you haven't seen it then watch it on BBC iPlayer before it's too late!

Wonders of the Universe

Another much anticipated telly blockbuster that is packing a punch back in Britain is 'Wonders of the Universe', a follow up to 'Wonders of the Solar System', presented by Professor Brian Cox.

Who are we? Where do we come from? For thousands of years humanity has turned to religion and myth for answers to these enduring questions. But in this series Brian presents a different set of answers - answers provided by science - and they are more beautiful and more profound than we ever imagined. In this episode, Brian seeks to understand the nature of time and its role in creating both the universe and ourselves.

Read more on the BBC programme page.

Wonders of the Universe was broadcast on BBC 2 on Sunday 6th March - watch it on iPlayer NOW!

Stuck with Tyson!

While 'Wonders of the Universe' was being broadcast in the UK we had a respite from camping in the frozen back woods of Maine, and a chance to watch some TV in a cosy lodge. Sadly, all we had to entertain us was some telly trash on Animal Planet called 'Taking on Tyson' about Mike Tyson's passion for pigeon racing. Nice idea, but a shame that it glamourises a convicted criminal and thug!

David Attenborough and Brian Cox knock out Tyson any day.

Madagascar - Island of Marvels - BBC2

Watch the first episode ISLAND OF MARVELS tomorrow night, 9th Feb 8pm, BBC2
Repeated Sunday 13th February at 4.25pm

Over 80 per cent of Madagascar's animals and plants are found nowhere else on Earth. Discover what made Madagascar so different from the rest of the world, and how evolution ran wild here.

For more clips and information visit the BBC Programme page

Funky! Meet the real cast of Madagascar


Crowned lemurs navigate razor sharp rocks

David Attenborough flies with the Pterosaurs: Flying Monsters 3D

Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough, Christmas Day 6pm, Sky 3D.

Sir David Attenborough flies with the Pterosaurs, Photo: Atlantic Productions

220 million years ago dinosaurs were beginning their domination of Earth. But another group of reptiles was about to make an extraordinary leap: pterosaurs were taking control of the skies. The story of how and why these mysterious creatures took to the air is more fantastical than any fiction.

In Flying Monsters 3D, Sir David Attenborough the world’s leading naturalist, sets out to uncover the truth about the enigmatic pterosaurs, whose wingspans of up to 40 feet were equal to that of a modern day jet plane.

The central question and one of the greatest mysteries in palaeontology is: how and why did pterosaurs fly? How did creatures the size of giraffes defy gravity and soar through prehistoric skies?

Driven by the information he finds as he attempts to answer these questions, Attenborough starts to unravel one of science’s more enduring mysteries, discovering that the marvel of pterosaur flight has evolutionary echoes that resonate even today.

Flying Monsters 3D is a groundbreaking film that uses cutting-edge 3D technology and CGI to bring the story of giant flying monsters and their prehistoric world to life. Audiences of all ages will be in awe as they enter the world and experience, as never before, REAL Flying Monsters – in 3D.

Find out more about this landmark production, and some of the prehistoric stars of the show.


Flying Monsters from Atlantic Productions on Vimeo.


Sir David Attenborough: Why 3D won't quite take off

"When I started in 1952, people had television sets and thought it was a miracle. You sat in front of it and waited for it to start and watched all the way through to the end and it was an event. But within a decade, you ate and talked and knitted while it was on," said Sir David, 84.

"Then colour came about and once again it was an event, people would come round and said, 'Wow, look at the colour'. Then we got accustomed to colour and television became like wallpaper.  I don't think 3D can be used as wallpaper, particularly because you need the glasses and when you put them on it's very isolating. You become very unaware of the person next to you."

"I think 3D TV is going to be event TV. It can be an international football match or it can also be an important programme. But I don't think 3D is going to be much good on trivia. It's for programmes that really mean something. It does require your attention."
Excerpts from an Interview by the Telegraph

Photo: Atlantic Productions

David Attenborough's 'First Life' - coming Nov 2010

Sir David Attenborough is soon to be back with a spark - the spark of life and the story of 'First Life', a two-part series for BBC Two, to be broadcast at 9pm on Friday 5th and Friday 12th November 2010.  It will also be shown as a two-hour special by Discovery Channel in the US, and by broadcasters around the world, including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, in 2011.

In fifty years of broadcasting, Sir David Attenborough has travelled the globe to document the living world in all its wonder. Now, in the landmark series First Life, he goes back in time in search of the very first animals.

From the fog bound coastline of Newfoundland to the deserts of North Africa and the rainforests of Queensland, in First Life David Attenborough finds evidence in fossils and living animals of an extraordinary period in Earth’s history, half a billion years ago, when animals first appeared in the oceans. From the first eyes that saw, to the first predators that killed and the first legs that walked on land, these were creatures that evolved the traits and tools that allow all animals, including us, to survive to this day.

This is a story that can only be told now because in the last few years, stunning fossil finds at sites across the world have transformed our understanding of the First Life forms, and technology now allows us to recreate the first animals and their environments with photorealistic computer generated imagery (CGI). Read more on the 'First Life' website.


David Attenborough's First Life from Atlantic Productions on Vimeo.

It's not exactly Original, but I'd give my right leg...

Like millions of others I'm always excited to see a new Attenborough series and this is no exception - it promises to be a thrill-filled romp through weird and wonderful life forms from prehistory.

Unfortunately the series draws on the overused hyperbolic phrase 'using the latest technology' to describe how they are able to bring these animals to life for the first time in half a billion years. Er, I refer you to the many series the BBC have already produced which use CGI technology to do just that. My series 'Journey of Life' from 2005 for example, seems suspiciously similar. Arguably the only thing it lacked was the 'voice of god' from David Attenborough -  and that on it's own makes First Life worth watching, but it did feature a panoply of prehistoric critters that pop up again in First Life including the Ediacaran fauna and the folks of the Burgess Shale.

[I just noticed that since this article was published the line 'using the latest technology' has been cut  from the trailer... which used to occur just before 'it's possible to bring those creatures to life...' - Maybe someone is reading my posts! 27/10/10]

How original First Life may be is irrespective, I would still have given my right leg to work with David again, especially on a series about the evolution of the earliest Life on Earth - and featuring my favourite of all prehistoric predators - Anomalcaris. This already looks like it could be one of my top picks from this year, produced by Atlantic Productions. The same company who are currently putting the finishing touches to a 3D film presented by David for Sky (surprisingly Davids first significant foray away from the BBC) about prehistoric flying reptiles 'Flying Monsters'.

- Paul



The mystery fossils were in fact the jaws and appendages of a single animal, the first large predator known on Earth. It has been named Anomalcaris  after the first fossil discovery. (Atlantic Productions)

David Attenborough examines fossilised trilobites with Professor Richard Fortey, a leading trilobite expert. (Atlantic Productions)

Attenborough's Journey - The Making of 'First Life'

Attenborough's Journey BBC Two, 8:00pm Sun, 24 Oct 2010

Watch on iPlayer

Follow David Attenborough as he travels the globe to film his new series 'First Life', in which he explores the very origins of life on Earth.

As a prelude to the 'First Life series', Attenborough's Journey provides a unique insight into the mind and character of one of the world's most iconic broadcasters as he shares his passions for the natural world. David journeys to the parts of the world which have had special meaning to him during his 50 years of broadcasting. Beginning near his boyhood Leicestershire home, where he first collected fossils, he then travels to Morocco's arid deserts, the glaciers of Canada and crystal clear waters of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Combining his global journey for First Life and archive material looking back at his illustrious career both as a programme maker and a controller of the BBC, the film reveals what makes him tick.

Read more on the Atlantic Productions website

Sir David Attenborough, being filmed for 'First Life' with a sponge - Atlantic Productions

Sir David Attenborough, being filmed for 'First Life' - Atlantic Productions

Sir David Attenborough has always loved fossils
"When I was growing up in the Midlands, the rocks and limestone you found were full of the most magical things," he recalls. "You hit a stone and it suddenly fell open, and there was this amazing coiled shell, beautiful and extraordinary, and nobody had seen that for 150 million years, except you." He found the experience romantic and exciting. And it appealed to his small boy's instinct of collecting things. "To be honest I don't think I've really lost that," he says.

Read more about Davids passion with fossils and prehistoric life on 'Earth News'

Horizon: The Death of the Oceans?

Monday 4 October, 21:00, BBC 2

Sir David Attenborough reveals the findings of one of the most ambitious scientific studies of our time - an investigation into what is happening to our oceans. He looks at whether it is too late to save their remarkable biodiversity.

Horizon travels from the cold waters of the North Atlantic to the tropical waters of the Great Barrier Reef to meet the scientists who are transforming our understanding of this unique habitat. Attenborough explores some of the ways in which we are affecting marine life - from over-fishing to the acidification of sea water.

The film also uncovers the disturbing story of how shipping noise is deafening whales and dolphins, affecting their survival in the future.

Image: BBC

Producer/Director – Peter Oxley

Editor – Aidan Laverty

For further details visit the BBC website

Sir David Attenborough to present 'Flying Monsters' 3D

Sir David Attenborough is about to take his career into a whole new dimension, by making Europe's first programme specifically for 3D TV. The legendary broadcaster has signed up to write and present Flying Monsters 3D. The programme will be broadcast later this year on Sky 3D, a new channel available to existing Sky subscribers through their current HD set-top box. Read more here

Tweeting from the South Pole with Sir David Attenborough

BBC Frozen Planet Producer Dan Rees sent his first tweet from the South Pole on New Year's day. Since then he has kept up a running commentary on his experience of safety training at ice school at the huge US base at McMurdo.

Now Sir David Attenborough has arrived at McMurdo (after three failed attempts to fly from New Zealand - aborted due to bad weather), to start filming at Captain Scott's Hut. If all goes well Dan & David Attenborough will both go to the South Pole in a week's time.

You can follow Dan directly on twitter here:
http://twitter.com/bbcexplorer_dr

Or through his biog page on Earth Explorers: http://www.bbc.co.uk/expeditions/stories/published/by/danrees

'Life: Extraordinary Animals, Extreme Behaviour' - Plants

Plants' solutions to life's challenges are as ingenious and manipulative as any animal's. Innovative time-lapse photography opens up a parallel world where plants act like fly-paper, or spring-loaded traps, to catch insects. Vines develop suckers and claws to haul themselves into the rainforest canopy. Every peculiar shape proves to have a clever purpose. The dragon's blood tree is like an upturned umbrella to capture mist and shade its roots. The seed of a Bornean tree has wings so aerodynamic they inspired the design of early gliders. The barrel-shaped desert rose is full of water. The heliconia plant even enslaves a humming bird and turns it into an addict for its nectar.

Visit the Life website

Horizon: How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth?

9th December 2009: BBC2 9pm

In a Horizon special, naturalist and BBC broadcaster, Sir David Attenborough investigates whether the world is heading into a population crisis.
In his lengthy career, Sir David has watched the human population more than double from 2.5 billion in 1950 to nearly 7 billion today. He reflects on the profound impacts of this rapid growth, both on humans and the environment.
Yet, whilst much of the projected growth in human population is likely to come from the developing world it is the lifestyle enjoyed by many in the west that have most impact on the planet. Some experts claim that in the UK we use as much as 2.5 times our fair share of the Earth's resources. So finally, Sir David examines whether it’s the duty of each one of us to commit not only to smaller families, but change the way we live for the sake of all humanity and planet earth.

Director – Helen Shariatmadari
Executive Producer – Andrew Cohen
For further details, please visit the programme link below:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pdjmk

'Life: Extraordinary Animals, Extreme Behaviour' - Birds

http://www.bbc.co.uk/Life

Birds owe their global success to feathers - something no other animal has. They allow birds to do extraordinary things. For the first time, a slow-motion camera captures the unique flight of the Marvellous Spatuletail Hummingbird as he flashes long, iridescent tail feathers in the gloomy undergrowth. Aerial photography takes us into the sky with an Ethiopian Lammergeier dropping bones to smash them into edible-sized bits. Thousands of pink flamingoes promenade in one of nature's greatest spectacles. The Sage Grouse rubs his feathers against his chest in a comic display to make popping noises that attract females. The Vogelkop Bowerbird makes up for his dull colour by building an intricate structure and decorating it with colourful beetles and snails.