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Review: The Splendor of Birds by National Geographic

Title: The Splendor of Birds
Author: National Geographic
Year Published: 2018


Genre: Adult non-fiction
Pages: 512
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Location (my 2018 Google Reading map): "Everywhere"

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for an honest review

Summary (from the inside flap of the book): An elegant collection of the best artwork and photography from the National Geographic archives depicting the magnificence of birds.
Bird, nature, and art lovers alike will treasure this sumptuous visual celebration of the colors, forms, and behaviors of the winged wonders who share our world as they have been explored, displayed, and revealed throughout the years by National Geographic. The book moves chronologically so readers witness the tremendous growth in our knowledge of birds over the last 130 years, as well as the new frontiers in technology and observation–from luminous vintage paintings and classic black and white photographs to state-of-the art high-speed and telephoto camera shots that reveal moments rarely seen and sights invisible to the human eye. The wide diversity of pictures captures beloved songbirds outside the kitchen window, theatrical courtship dance of birds of paradise, tender moments inside a tern’s nest, or the vivid flash of a hummingbird’s flight. Readers will delight in seeing iconic species from around the world through the eyes of acclaimed National Geographic wildlife photographers such as Chris Johns, Frans Lanting, Joel Sartore, and Tim Laman and reading excerpted passages from Arthur A. Allen, Roger Tory Peterson, Douglas Chadwick, Jane Goodall, and other great explorers. Exquisitely produced and expertly curated, this visual treasury displays as never before the irresistible beauty, grace, and intelligence of our feathered friends.

Purchase Links


National Geographic | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Review: I am going to be honest and say that my mother is the one who is doing most of this review. While I have looked at this book and loved the photos (National Geographic folks, we expect amazing images), my mom has looked through the book much more thoroughly because she is a birder.

This book is a fascinating book that looks at bird photography through the ages with sections in multiple decade chunks. It was interesting to see the images go from blurry black and white to blurry color to sharp color in the 2000s.

We had a number of favorite images, including one of a hummingbird's forked tongue seen in a glass flower and the image above. Somehow this photograph manages to be cute, interesting, stunning, and humorous all at once. 

Challenges for which this counts: 

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