ratites

Reaktion Animal Series. The tallest and heaviest of any living bird, a fully grown North African ostrich can reach 2.75 metres in height and weigh almost 160 kgs. From its eggs to its meat, skin and feathers, the ostrich has been exploited by humans since history began. The demand for its feathers was so great in Victorian times that vast fortunes were made from ostrich farming, particularly in South Africa and the United States. In addition to its sheer physical presence, the ostrich has long been an object of curiosity and fascination, becoming a byword for passivity while being feared for its aggression. It has featured in art, literature, film and popular culture, been represented in cave paintings, ancient medieval manuscripts and the Bayeux Tapestry, shown in advertising and drawn as a cartoon character in many modern films. Edgar Williams has provided a singular, comprehensive insight into this extraordinary bird, chronicling its behaviour, history and habitat as well as its effect on our culture. Featuring many striking illustrations drawn from nature and culture, Ostrich will appeal to all those interested in birds and the natural world, as well as anyone who follows fashion, art or ancient history.

Back in 1990, when Neville Peat wrote The Incredible Kiwi, the national bird was in retreat, from habitat loss and the severe impact of predation. It was not well understood, being nocturnal and hidden in the forest. Most Kiwis had never seen their national bird. During the 1990s, saving the kiwi became a popular cause. Community kiwi conservation projects have emerged all over the country, especially in the North Island. And scientific research has led to greater knowledge of the bird’s population dynamics and distribution. The kiwi has truly become ‘the people’s bird’. In this book, the author describes the kiwi from every point of view, from wild bird to national emblem. What is this biological oddity called the kiwi? Exactly how many species of kiwi are there? Where do they live? What do they eat? How are people helping them to survive? Why does this bird have such a major place in the Kiwi nation’s life? And he tells the story of the largest popular movement in support of an endangered native species that New Zealand has ever seen.