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

"No group of birds in the world is more beautiful and more intriguing to science than the birds of paradise. Surprisingly, no book showing them displaying in the wild has been done before. But to gain such perspectives and develop such a wonderful collection of pictures has taken years. The result is truly breathtaking." --Sir David Attenborough, filmmaker and creator of Life on Earth "You'll initially find it hard to believe that these pictures are real--but they are. These are the most beautiful photographs of the world's most beautiful birds. The birds' behavior, richly described in the text, is as remarkable as their appearance. This is a book like no other book." --Jared Diamond, ornithologist and author of Guns, Germs, and Steel "The resulting extremes of color, form and behavior are beautifully documented in Schole's new book, co-authored with photographer Tim Laman." -Sciencefriday.com "The exhibit "Birds of Paradise" at the National Geographic museum in Washington, along with a book by Tim Laman and Edwin Scholes, offers research, photographs and video of the 39 species of the bird..." -The Wall Street Journal

Birds of Paradise is destined to be the first-ever popular book to reveal the most exotic birds on earth. Photographer and National Geographic grantee Tim Laman and co-author Edwin Scholes (ornithologist/leading authority) traveled to the most remote parts of the New Guinea wilderness - the only place these birds occur - to photograph and study their "secret" lives. The authors' documentation of the appearance, displays, and behaviors of these 39 species of birds has taken years of dedicated fieldwork. This high quality, large-format photography book will inform and enthrall the book-buying public with images of astonishing beauty, solid yet approachable natural history, and a National Geographic message of conservation. With universal appeal and a huge cross-platform presence similar to the blockbusters Polar Obsession and March of the Penguins, this brilliant, one-of-a-kind photography book will also have a strong presence in spcial and international sales.