Step Into the World of the Birds-of-Paradise

Birds of Paradise: Revealing the World's Most Extraordinary Birds

This fall, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology invites you to experience the Birds-of-Paradise Project through dazzling photos and video from Cornell Lab's scientist Ed Scholes and National Geographic's photographer Tim Laman. During an eight-year quest, they captured images of all 39 species for the first time. This fall, they will share their story as part of a National Geographic Society-wide effort in collaboration with the Cornell Lab. As this trailer shows, the opulent plumes and fantastical dances of these 39 species astound us, leaving us with the most profound of scientific questions: Why?

Reference: Birds of Paradise: Revealing the World's Most Extraordinary Birds (National Geographic Books; ISBN 978-1-4262-0958-1)

 

The Authors:

• Tim Laman, rain forest biologist affiliated with Harvard University, is one of the most accomplished wildlife photographers in the world. From the rain forest canopy to the coral reef depths, Laman documents the biodiversity of Earth’s richest realms and is a regular contributor to National Geographic magazine. Laman holds a Ph.D. from Harvard.
• Edwin Scholes, a Ph. D. ornithologist and biodiversity video curator at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, has studied birds of paradise for more than a decade and is a leading authority on their behavior and evolution.