Natural Histories: Birds and Reptiles: A BBC Radio 4 nature collection

Award-winning wildlife presenter Brett Westwood explores our relationship with birds and reptiles, and their impact on human culture and society

Ever since the first prehistoric artist etched animal paintings onto a cave wall, humans have been inspired by the living world. It has enriched our lives in science, art, literature and music, defining society at every level across the globe. In these 13 episodes from Radio 4's groundbreaking Natural Histories, presenter Brett Westwood looks at two remarkable types of animals: birds and reptiles, who share a common ancestor and are often thought to belong to the same group.

His imagination takes flight as he considers the rich, tangled life of the cuckoo; soaks in the sound bath of a nightingale's song; and probes the paradox of the pigeon with fellow presenter Verity Sharp. Brett also explores a bird that has become a byword for male beauty: the peacock, and guides us through the history of the ethereal swan, from ancient Greece to Swan Lake to Putin's Russia. Plus, he analyses birds' eggs as a symbol for new life, a metaphor for the origin of the universe - and a delicious staple of cookery. Turning to the reptile world, Brett tracks down nature's master of disguise, the chameleon; learns how the crocodile can boast of being a god, a sports logo, a sly trickster and a comic book hero; and marvels at the magnificent dinosaurs, who ruled the earth for 160 million years and still captivate us today.

Weaving together nature, history, biology and biography, these fascinating programmes illuminate the complex connections between human beings and our feathered and scaly friends, revealing the unexpected ways we have interacted with them, and how they have changed the way we see the world.

Production credits
Presented by Brett Westwood with Verity Sharp (Pigeon)
Produced in partnership with the Natural History Museum, London
Producers: Andrew Dawes, Sarah Blunt, Melvin Rickarby, Tim Dee, Tom Bonnett, Sarah Pitt
Series producer: Mary Colwell

Episode guide
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates:
Birds Eggs 1 September 2015
Peacock 31 July 2018
Parrots 22 September 2016
Hornbill 13 October 2015
Honeyguide 18 October 2016
Swallow 3 October 2017
Cuckoo 8 August 2017
Nightingale 12 September 2017
Swan 25 September 2018
Penguin 18 September 2018
Dinosaurs 28 July 2015
Crocodiles 29 September 2015
Chameleon 11 October 2016

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