Our fascination with birds of paradise has lasted 500 years. In this film, David Attenborough offers his own personal take on the mystery and discovery, obsession and scientific revelation surrounding these elusive birds. He himself has spent a lifetime filming their displays - many for the first time - and researching these birds both in their remote forest homes and in the museums and collections of Europe. He reveals the passion that birds of paradise have brought about in so many human hearts, from collectors and painters to wildlife cameramen. He uncovers the true science behind their extraordinary lives, revealing that, far from being icons of religious virtuosity, the evolution of their beauty has in fact been driven by sex. And in a final modern twist, David travels to the desert of Qatar, to a state of the art facility which houses the largest breeding group of these birds in the world - a Qatari Sheikh's very own private collection.

Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on June 03, 2015.

Birds of Paradise Introduction --(1:56) -- Birds of Paradise Legend -- (2:16) -- Birds of Paradise Origins -- (2:30) -- Birds of Paradise Trading Value -- (3:33) -- Birds of Paradise Illustrations -- (2:23) -- Observing Birds of Paradise -- (2:15) -- Filming Birds of Paradise -- (3:12) -- Superb Bird of Paradise -- (2:55) -- Bird of Paradise Illustrator -- (2:30) -- Parotia Bird of Paradise -- (2:34) -- Filming the Parotia Bird -- (3:37) -- Parotia Bird Courtship Dance -- (2:38) -- Live Specimens -- (3:41) -- Birds of Paradise Breeding Program -- (2:41) -- Captive Breeding Challenges -- (2:55) -- Sexual Selection -- (3:21) -- Birds of Paradise Habitat -- (2:34) -- Courtship Dance Rehearsal -- (3:14) -- Credits: Attenborough's Birds of Paradise -- (0:36).