There has until now been no proper study of the bird in art despite our fascination with birds & despite the wealth of complex meanings associated with them in different cultures. A number of pagan gods are linked with birds & dynasties & empires have adopted powerful birds as their symbols. Birds feature in numerous creation myths & represent the human soul in many religions. We can trace bird imagery from the cave paintings of the Paleolithic era to the present day & across all world cultures: there are painted drawn mosaic sculpted embroidered & ceramic birds & birds as marginal illuminations or the subject of meticulous ornithological studies. This exquisite new book investigates the significance of the bird in 250 beautifully reproduced works of art both ancient & modern. Nine chapters
- on such themes as the mythical bird the Eastern bird & the domestic bird
- explore in detail a rich & rewarding collection of paintings prints drawings & sculptures creating a book that will enchant art lovers & anyone interested in ornithology.

...

What is it like to be a swift flying at over one hundred kilometres an hour? Or a kiwi plodding flightlessly among the humid undergrowth in the pitch dark of a New Zealand night? & what is going on inside the head of a nightingale as it sings & how does its brain improvise? Bird Sense addresses questions like these & many more by describing the senses of birds that enable them to interpret their environment & to interact with each other. Our affinity for birds is often said to be the result of shared senses
- vision & hearing
- but how exactly do their senses compare with our own? & what about a birds sense of taste or smell or touch or the ability to detect the earths magnetic field? Or the extraordinary ability of desert birds to detect rain hundreds of kilometres away
- how do they do it? Bird Sense is based on a conviction that we have consistently underestimated what goes on in a birds head. Our understanding of bird behaviour is simultaneously informed & constrained by the way we watch & study them. By drawing attention to the way these frameworks both facilitate & inhibit discovery it identifies ways we can escape from them to seek new horizons in bird behaviour. There has never been a popular book about the senses of birds. No one has previously looked at how birds interpret the world or the way the behaviour of birds is shaped by their senses. A lifetime spent studying birds has provided Tim Birkhead with a wealth of observation & an understanding of birds & their behaviour that is firmly grounded in science.


...

What is it like to be a swift flying at over one hundred kilometres an hour? Or a kiwi plodding flightlessly among the humid undergrowth in the pitch dark of a New Zealand night? & what is going on inside the head of a nightingale as it sings & how does its brain improvise? Bird Sense addresses questions like these & many more by describing the senses of birds that enable them to interpret their environment & to interact with each other. Our affinity for birds is often said to be the result of shared senses
- vision & hearing
- but how exactly do their senses compare with our own? & what about a birds' sense of taste or smell or touch or the ability to detect the earth's magnetic field? Or the extraordinary ability of desert birds to detect rain hundreds of kilometres away
- how do they do it? Bird Sense is based on a conviction that we have consistently underestimated what goes on in a bird's head. Our understanding of bird behaviour is simultaneously informed & constrained by the way we watch & study them. By drawing attention to the way these frameworks both facilitate & inhibit discovery it identifies ways we can escape from them to seek new horizons in bird behaviour. There has never been a popular book about the senses of birds. No one has previously looked at how birds interpret the world or the way the behaviour of birds is shaped by their senses. A lifetime spent studying birds has provided Tim Birkhead with a wealth of observation & an understanding of birds & their behaviour that is firmly grounded in science.


...

The Bird That Never Flew follows in the dangerous footsteps of a major figure in Glasgow underworld. It tells of how John & his older brother Jim became legends to rival the notorious James boys & why they became heroes in prison. Preceded there by the reputation of his safeblower father Steele's rebellious nature led him to defy a brutal system that prized the breaking of the human spirit above the breaking of old habits. Violence & deprivation were the principle weapons of the prison authorities: rehabilitation just another word in the dictionary. & so he rebelled meeting violence with violence leading riots & planning dramatic escapes. All his life ' Johnnyboy' Steele has been running. First it was from an abusive father then it was from the rigours of approved school & borstal & finally it was from the harshness of prison life. The book details how the brothers staged the most daring breakout that Glasgow's Barlinnie Prison had ever seen & recounts what happens when their younger brother Joseph was falsely accused of the greatest mass murder in Scottish legal history. If Johnny had wings he would have flown to help his family but he would have to wait for freedom to use his expertise to publicise young Joe's miscarriage of justice. The Bird That Never Flew is a compelling often shocking & uncompromisingly honest account of how the human spirit can survive against almost crushing odds. It is a story of family love friendship & ultimately a desire for justice. ...

It was Felix who named it The Birdcage
- the tall house in Bristol where Miss Pidgeon lived with her tenant the beautiful & talented
...

This trendy concealed spiral bound birthday & address book has an elegant birdcage design that will make a great gift for a style conscious friend or relative. This organiser is handy for those who like to keep track of their friends family & birthdays. Features include: alphabetised address book & a chronological birthday list. ...

This quirky birdcage writing set will make a perfect gift for those who love to write. This set comes with beautifully designed paper & envelopes that are encased in a breathtaking keepsake box. Features include: keepsake box 30 A5 sheets 30 envelopes 12 address labels & 48 patterned stickers. ...

This playful storage file will keep your magazines safe & secure
- meaning you will never misplace your favourite glossy again.
...

A pretty & playful patent birdcage pencil case that will make a perfect addition to your desk or school bag or even be a stunning ...

This cute & practical ballpen set will make a great gift for keen writers & students. This set comes with a pretty birdcage pencil case & 2 black ballpens. Features include: small zip pencil case & 2 black ballpens with medium nibs (in pink & blue). ...