Birds of Paradise Book

Two men spent months undercover sitting up in trees to obtain pictures of Birds of Paradise.  Many of these birds have never been photographed before.  Tim Laman and Edwin Scholes  have produced a coffee table style book full of incredible images of Birds of Paradise.


Here's a cool trailer on the project with some action shots of Bird of Paradise.




Why are they called Birds of Paradise?

In the 16th century when Europeans first saw these unusual birds, they declared that they were so beautiful that they could only have come from Heaven's paradise.

Some Bird of Paradise Facts

 - lifespan: up to  30 years. 

-  diet:  mostly fruit, but also plants, spiders, insects, small reptiles

-  39 species

-  Order Passeriformes.  Group Paradisaeidae.  Closest relatives: crows and jays.

-  dimorphic- males and females are distinctly different.  Males ornate, females drab.

-  males are polygnist.  He spreads his seed to as many females as possible.

-  females have one brood per year, usually one chick.  Female does all the nest building and rearing.

-   symbiotic mutualism.  The birds eat the fruit of the trees then plant the fruit seeds when they poop.

-  live in mountainous forested areas in NE Australia, New Guinea and surrounding islands.



Male Birds of Paradise devote their lives to displaying their virility to females.  Males often use the same tree stump or clearing as their display stage for many years. 

Variations seen in Birds of Paradise species are not only in their feathering.  Different beak styles are numerous, apparently adaptations to better extract meat from assorted fruits that represent the bulk of their diet. 

These birds live in areas full of food and with very few predators.  This frees up time for flexing ones feathers and singing songs of love.




Learn more about the book, Birds of Paradise:  revealing the world's most extraordinary birds by Tim Laman and Edwin Scholes.

Book Review

Dialogues with Dogs by Bruce Fogle
copyright 2006

The book feels like a condensed version of some of his other books. There is very little new information and it comes across as a half hearted effort. The illustrations are OK but are more distracting than entertaining.

Skip this book and read Fogle's "The Dog's Mind". (1990) The dog's brain is discussed including explanations of hormones, early learning and maturity.

Dr. Fogle combines his years as a veterinarian with scientific studies to help the reader understand the goings on in the dog's mind. Behaviors such as aggression and phobias are explained . The information is presented fully yet is easily understood by even the least scientifically inclined.

Book Review: Natural Health for Dogs & Cats

Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, Third Edition 2005
by Richard H.Pitcairn, DVM, PhD and Susan Hubble Pitcairn

This is a good reference book for any dog or cat owner's library. The first of two sections discusses feeding. The commerical pet food vs homemade food debate is detailed, with consideration to convenience, cost and nutrient values of each. Dr. Pitcairn clearly recommends real or human grade food for dogs and cats. Recipes are given using various sources of protein and carbohydrates, including some vegetarian dishes. Supplement recipes are provided and are tailored for animals at various stages of life and for those with special needs or conditions.

Section two lists common diseases and ailments along with herbal remedies and recommendations for treatment. Even if one is not inclined to whip up a batch of slippery elm tea for diarrhea, the information on dog and cat physiology is useful. It's nice to know what a normal pulse rate is before you are worried your pet is ill and decide to take his pulse.

Speaking as someone with a fairly extensive collection of reference books for dogs, I can say that this book is not unique in its approach to the "natural" topic. Scary statistics of animal poisonings by pet food companies as well as everyday household stuff is offered. This book is better than most preaching natural because it gives the pet owner recipes with nutritional values to assist in pulling off this home cooked nirvana.

Rating: very good.

Book Review: Her Last Death

Her Last Death by Susanna Sonnenberg 2008

This memoir begins with a decision made in the present. We then are taken through Sonnenberg's past. We learn of her mother's fierce love, cruelty and selfish neglect. This is a woman addicted to drugs and sex and getting her own way. Her daughter is thus schooled.

Sonnenberg's writing style is good enough to keep you reading even during the less riveting parts. Hers is a remarkable story yet even the most ordinary and average reader can relate.

That Sonnenberg becomes the woman she is, reminds us that we are free to choose what we are.

Rating: good.