Original subtitles

.

NARRATOR: WHEN YOU SEE THIS

SYMBOL, YOU KNOW YOU'RE WATCHING

TELEVISION THAT IS EDUCATIONAL

AND INFORMATIONAL.

THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: HI THERE.

- I'M DYLAN DREYER, AND THIS IS - "EARTH ODYSSEY".

TODAY ON "EARTH ODYSSEY", WE

TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD AND

DISCOVER SOME OF OUR FAVORITE

FEATHERED FRIENDS IN THE WILD,

LIKE THE SEABIRDS IN THE

HEBRIDES WHO LOVE TO DIVE IN FOR

A DINE-IN UNDER THE WATER.

AND THEN, WE HEAD TO THE

PANTANAL TO SEE HOW THESE

SPECIALIZED BEAKS WORK AT SOME

OF THE HIGHEST PEAKS.

AND LATER, WE EXPLORE ONE OF THE

MOST MYSTIFYING MIGRATIONS IN

THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

- PLUS, WE HEAD TO THE ISLANDS OF - THE AMAZON RIVER TO MEET THIS

HUNGRY AND CURIOUS PARAKEET.

ALL OF THIS AND MORE ON TODAY'S

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: ALTHOUGH MAMMALS MAY - RULE THE EARTH, THERE ARE TWICE

AS MANY BIRD SPECIES.

- THE CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR - FEATHERED FRIENDS ARE VAST AND

VARIED.

WHILE SOME SOAR ABOVE THE

CLOUDS, OTHERS ARE FLIGHTLESS,

BUT THAT'S JUST FINE, BECAUSE

EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO SURVIVE

IS IN THE WATER.

- LYING JUST OFF THE WEST COAST OF - SCOTLAND, THE HEBRIDES

ARCHIPELAGO IS MADE UP OF MORE

THAN 500 ISLANDS AND ISLETS.

ISOLATION FROM THE MAINLAND HAS

MADE THE HEBRIDES THE PERFECT

BREEDING GROUND FOR MILLIONS OF

CREATURES, EARNING IT THE NAME

"EUROPE'S LAST WILDERNESS".

- EVER SINCE THEY WERE EXPOSED AT - THE END OF THE ICE AGE, THE

HEBRIDES ISLANDS HAVE BEEN A

LAND OF MYSTERY.

THE VAST SEA LIFE IN THE OCEAN

SURROUNDING THE HEBRIDES

PROVIDES A BOUNTY OF FOOD FOR

THE AQUATIC BIRDS WHO SOAR IN

THE SKIES ABOVE THE CRASHING

WAVES.

[BIRDS CAWING]

BUT FEW CAN COMPETE WITH THE

MASTER DIVER OF THEM ALL.

[BIRD CAWING]

NORTHERN GANNETS HAVE A

WINGSPAN OF AROUND SIX FEET

ACROSS, MAKING THEM GRACEFUL

FLYERS AND SKILLFUL HUNTERS.

[BIRD CAWING]

UNLIKE MOST BIRDS, THEY HAVE

FORWARD-FACING EYES, GIVING THEM

RAZOR-SHARP DEPTH PERCEPTION.

THIS ALLOWS THEM TO ACCURATELY

ESTIMATE HOW CLOSE THE FISH ARE

TO THE SURFACE OF THE WATER.

- ONCE LOCKED IN ON THEIR TARGET, - THEY FOLD BACK THEIR WINGS AND

MAKE THEIR PLUMMETING DIVE.

[SPLASH]

GANNETS HIT THE WATER AT MORE

THAN 60 MILES AN HOUR TO CAPTURE

THEIR PREY.

AT THE MOMENT OF IMPACT, THEY

STRETCH THEIR BODIES INTO A

STREAMLINE TORPEDO-LIKE SHAPE.

- POCKETS OF AIR CELLS BETWEEN - THEIR SKIN AND MUSCLES HELP

CUSHION THE BLOW.

[SPLASH]

WITH THIS KIND OF PREDATORY

FINESSE, IT'S NO WONDER WHY

THESE BIRDS HAVE SURVIVED HERE

FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

IT IS BELIEVED THAT HUMANKIND

FIRST ARRIVED ON ST. KILDA

SOMETIME DURING THE BRONZE AGE

MORE THAN 5,000 YEARS AGO.

AGENT HERDERS MIGRATED HERE WITH

THE PRIMITIVE RELATIVES OF

MODERN-DAY SHEEP, BUT EARLY

HUMANS ALSO RELIED ON ANOTHER

ANIMAL FOR THEIR SURVIVAL.

- THE CLIFFS OF ST. KILDA ARE HOME - TO SOME OF THE LARGEST

POPULATION OF SEABIRDS IN THE

WORLD, INCLUDING PUFFINS,

FULMARS, AND GANNETS.

THIS VAST SUPPLY OF SEABIRDS

BECAME A MAIN STAPLE FOR THESE

ANCIENT PEOPLE.

RESIDENTS ATE AN AVERAGE OF 115

PUFFINS A YEAR.

- WHILE THE FOOD SOURCE WAS - PLENTIFUL DURING THE WARMER

MONTHS OF THE YEAR, IT WAS ALSO

SEASONAL.

AT THE END OF THE SUMMER, THE

ISLAND CLIFFS BECAME BARE AS

- BIRDS MIGRATED TO MORE TEMPERATE - CLIMATES.

- THIS MILLENNIUM'S OLD - CIVILIZATION CAME TO AN ABRUPT

END IN 1930.

- BUT ALTHOUGH THIS COMMUNITY WENT - THE WAY OF THE BIRDS, THERE'S

ANOTHER MORE TROPICAL PLACE

WHERE BIRDS FLOURISH.

COMING UP, THESE BIRDS HAVE TO

WEATHER THROUGH IT ALL IN THE

WET AND DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT OF

THE PANTANAL.

AND LATER, TRAVELING THIS

DISTANCE MAY SEEM LIKE A PAIN,

BUT IT'S ALL PART OF THE PLAN

FOR THIS MAJESTIC DEMOISELLE

CRANE.

PLUS, SEE HOW THESE FEATHERED

TROPICAL FRIENDS CAN GET A

LITTLE HAIRY COMING UP ON "EARTH

ODYSSEY".

[BREAK]

- NARRATOR: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO - THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO "EARTH - ODYSSEY", WHERE WE ARE EXPLORING

OUR PLANET FOR OUR FAVORITE

FEATHERED FRIENDS, AND HERE AT

THE PANTANAL, THERE ARE PLENTY

OF BIRDS, AND ALL OF THEM HAVE A

SPECIAL WAY TO SURVIVE.

BLACK VULTURES GATHER.

- THEY KNOW THAT ANYTHING SWEPT - OVER THE EDGE WILL BE DASHED ON

THE ROCKS BELOW, AN EASY MEAL ON

TAP.

HUGE FLOCKS OF GREAT DUSKY

SWIFTS SWIRL THROUGH THE MIST.

THEY'VE COME TO BREED.

BUT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM.

THE LUSH FORESTS THAT CLOAK THE

FALLS ARE FULL OF THIEVES.

TOUCANS, SPECIALIST NEST

RAIDERS.

AND COATIS, THEY'LL EAT ANYTHING

THEY CAN FIND, BUT EGGS ARE A

PARTICULARLY VALUABLE PRIZE.

BANDS PATROL EVERY LEVEL OF THE

FOREST.

THE SWIFTS HAVE COME UP WITH AN

EXTRAORDINARY SOLUTION.

AS DUSK ARRIVES, THEY FLY

EVER-CLOSER TO THE FALLS,

- LOOKING FOR A CHANCE TO - PENETRATE THE THUNDERING CURTAIN

OF WATER.

- THEN, ONE-BY-ONE, THEY SWOOP - THROUGH.

- ONCE THEY'VE MADE IT TO THE - SLIPPERY CLIFF FACE, THEIR LONG

CLAWS ENABLE THEM TO CLING ON.

- THEN THEY CLAMOR TOWARDS THEIR - NESTS, AND PRECIOUS EGGS ARE

- SAFELY DEPOSITED OUT OF DANGER'S - REACH.

- WHITE-EYED PARAKEETS HAVE SPENT - THE NIGHT ROOSTING IN THE

SANDSTONE WALLS.

- THEY'RE PREPARING FOR A LONG DAY - IN THEIR DUSTY ENVIRONMENT BY

WAITING IN LINE FOR AN

INVIGORATING SHOWER ONE PAIR AT

A TIME.

- WHILE THE PARAKEETS FRESHEN UP, - LARGER RELATIVES GATHER ABOVE

THEM.

LIKE MOST PARROTS, BLUE-WINGED

MACAWS PAIR FOR LIFE.

- WHAT SEEMS LIKE SQUABBLING IS - THEIR WAY OF CEMENTING THEIR

BOND BEFORE THEY FLY OFF TO

FORAGE.

- A PAIR OF RED AND GREEN MACAWS - SHARES THE CANYON.

- AMONG THE HEAVIEST PARROTS IN - THE WORLD, THEY NEED PLENTY OF

FOOD.

- THEIR LONG, NARROW WINGS WILL - POWER THEM ON A 60-MILE

ROUNDTRIP TO FIND IT.

THEY WERE BUILT FOR THIS

JOURNEY, AND THEY FLY OFF,

DISAPPEARING INTO THE PANTANAL

TREES.

- ONE ANIMAL THAT BENEFITS FROM - THE RANCHERS IN THE PANTANAL

REGION OF SOUTH AMERICA IS THE

LARGEST PARROT ON THE PLANET...

[BIRD CAWING]

...THE HYACINTH MACAW.

IT FEEDS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON

PALM NUTS.

AND IT PREFERS THOSE WHOSE HUSKS

HAVE ALREADY BEEN DIGESTED BY

CATTLE.

EVEN DE-HUSKED, THESE ARE

PARTICULARLY HARD NUTS TO CRACK.

SO HARD, THAT A THIRD OF ALL THE

MACAW'S MUSCLES ARE CONCENTRATED

IN ITS HEAD TO POWER ITS

MONSTROUS MANDIBLES.

BUT BRUTE STRENGTH IS NOT

ENOUGH.

AS WELL AS ITS BEAK, THE HIGHLY

INTELLIGENT PARROT USES ITS

HAND-LIKE FEET, FLEXIBLE TONGUE,

AND AWESOME BRAIN POWER TO

HARVEST THE NUTRITIOUS KERNELS

HIDDEN INSIDE.

THREE-QUARTERS OF ALL HYACINTH

MACAWS LIVE IN THE PANTANAL.

THEY THRIVE ONLY WHERE THERE ARE

PLENTY OF PALM NUTS AND PLENTY

OF CATTLE TO HELP PREPARE THEM.

COMING UP, DISCOVER ONE OF THE

MOST INTENSE JOURNEYS IN THE

ANIMAL KINGDOM THAT TAKES THESE

CRANES OVER EARTH'S HIGHEST

TERRAINS.

PLUS, THESE TROPICAL BIRDS OF

THE AMAZON FEEL THE NEED, THE

NEED FOR SEED.

[BREAK]

- NARRATOR: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO - THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: ANIMALS MIGRATE FOR MANY

REASONS, LIKE WEATHER, FOOD, OR

- SOMETIMES JUST A CHANGE OF - SCENERY.

BIRDS CAN MIGRATE FARTHER THAN

ANY ANIMAL ON EARTH, LIKE THE

ARCTIC TERN, WHO MIGRATES AROUND

50,000 MILES EACH YEAR.

ALTHOUGH THAT MIGHT BE THE

LONGEST TRIP, IT'S FAR FROM THE

MOST DANGEROUS.

THE HIMALAYAS STRETCH FOR 1,500

MILES ACROSS ASIA.

THE TALLEST PEAK RISES ALMOST

FIVE MILES ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

EVEREST IS KNOWN IN TIBET AS THE

MOUNTAIN SO HIGH, NO BIRD CAN

FLY OVER IT.

BUT ONE REMARKABLE SPECIES HAS

PROVEN OTHERWISE, THE DEMOISELLE

CRANE.

TO ESCAPE ASIA'S BITTER WINTERS,

THE CRANES TAKE ON THE PLANET'S

ULTIMATE MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE.

- THESE DELICATE-LOOKING BIRDS - FIND THE STRENGTH TO BATTLE

FREEZING WINDS AND AIR SO THIN,

THEY ARE LITERALLY STARVED OF

OXYGEN.

FLYING ALONGSIDE THEIR PARENTS

ARE JUVENILES, WHOSE FEATHERS

HAVE ONLY RECENTLY APPEARED.

BUT THEIR PARENTS CAN'T PROTECT

THEM FROM MASTERFUL MOUNTAIN

PREDATORS.

THE FLOCKS FLY 2,000 MILES

NONSTOP IN JUST SEVEN DAYS TO

- GET HERE, THE TINY DESERT TOWN - OF KICHAN.

- THE TOWNSPEOPLE ARE HONORED TO - WELCOME THE SURVIVORS AND FEED

- THEM THROUGHOUT THEIR SIX-MONTH - STAY.

THEIR GENEROSITY IS A MARK OF

THEIR RESPECT FOR THE CRANES,

AND IT IS JUSTLY REWARDED.

NINE THOUSAND CRANES FLOCK TO

KICHAN, ONE OF THE LARGEST

CONGREGATIONS IN THE WORLD.

[BIRDS SQUAWKING]

- IT'S A SAFE, WARM PLACE TO - WINTER, AND THERE'S ENOUGH FOOD

TO RECOVER FROM THEIR ARDUOUS

TRIP.

[BIRDS SQUAWKING]

THE PEOPLE OF KICHAN CONSIDER

IT A PRIVILEGE TO HOST THESE

BRAVE TRAVELERS DURING THEIR

INCREDIBLE MIGRATION THROUGH ONE

OF THE WORLD'S MOST ICONIC

LANDSCAPES.

COMING UP, THIS FEATHERED

FRIEND'S SEARCH FOR FOOD PUTS

HIM IN A HAIRY SITUATION.

[BREAK]

- NARRATOR: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO - THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WELCOME TO THE AMAZON

RIVER ISLANDS.

THROUGHOUT THE ISLANDS, THE

LARGER, MORE ESTABLISHED TREES

HAVE BEEN WAITING ALL YEAR FOR

THE FLOODWATERS TO ARRIVE.

NOW, FINALLY, THEY GET WHAT

THEY'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.

THE TREES USE THE WATERS TO

DISTRIBUTE THEIR SEEDS FAR AND

WIDE.

THE PODS OF A MONGUBA TREE HAVE

SPENT THE DRY SEASON MATURING.

NOW THEY BURST OPEN IN

SPECTACULAR STYLE, REVEALING

SEEDS HIDDEN AMONGST THE GIANT

BALL OF FLUFF.

- THE SEEDS ARE SCATTERED IN THE - WIND.

EACH IS ATTACHED TO A PARACHUTE

TO CARRY IT ON ITS WAY.

- THE SEEDS WILL BE TRANSPORTED - THROUGHOUT THE ISLANDS,

HOPEFULLY GERMINATING WHERE THEY

LAND AND HELPING TO MAINTAIN THE

FOREST.

- BUT THE MONGUBA TREES NEED TO BE - QUICK.

FRESH FOOD DOESN'T GO UNNOTICED

FOR LONG ON THESE ISLANDS.

TUI PARAKEETS MAKE THE MOST OF

THE FRESHLY OPENED SEED PODS.

THE MONGUBA TREE IS A FAVORITE.

THEY USE THEIR BEAKS TO PRY THE

SEEDS FROM THEIR FLUFFY COCOONS.

IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG FOR THE

HUNGRY BIRDS TO STRIP A POD.

- AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, - THERE'S MORE FOOD THAN THEY

COULD WISH FOR, AND THEY QUICKLY

MOVE ON TO THE NEXT TREE.

AND THESE PARAKEETS ARE MORE

THAN HAPPY TO SNACK ON THESE

FRUITING TREES.

- LIVING OUT OF REACH OF THE - FLOODWATERS, BIRDS ARE ABLE TO

- PUT ALL THEIR ENERGY INTO - COURTSHIP.

- A MALE STREAK-THROATED - HUMMINGBIRD USES ITS ENCHANTING

SONG AND SIMPLE DISPLAY TO

ATTRACT POTENTIAL MATES.

[BIRD CHIRPING]

- ALTHOUGH THE FLASH OF - TAILFEATHERS IS IMPRESSIVE, IT

IS USUALLY THE BEST SONG THAT

WINS THE FEMALE'S HEART.

- DEEPER IN THE FOREST, ANOTHER - BIRD GOES TO EVEN GREATER

EXTREMES TO FIND A MATE, THE

WIRE-TAILED MANAKIN.

- THERE ARE MORE THAN 50 SPECIES - OF MANAKIN IN THE WORLD, AND THE

MAJORITY OF THESE ARE FOUND IN

THE FORESTS OF SOUTH AMERICA.

STIFF TAILFEATHERS GIVE THE

BIRDS THEIR NAME.

[BIRD CHIRPING]

A MALE SURVEYS THE FOREST FROM

HIS PRIVATE DISPLAY PERCH.

HE'S READY TO STRUT HIS STUFF AT

THE FIRST SIGN OF A FEMALE.

IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG FOR ONE TO

ARRIVE.

[BIRD CHIRPING]

BUT UNLIKE MOST MANAKINS WHO

DISPLAY ON THEIR OWN,

WIRE-TAILED MANAKINS DANCE IN

PAIRS AS THEY ATTEMPT TO WIN THE

FEMALE'S AFFECTIONS.

THE PAIR TAKES TO THE STAGE.

IT'S A DANCE-OFF, AND BOTH ARE

DESPERATE TO IMPRESS.

[MUSIC]

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

THE FEMALE SIZES UP HER SUITORS

FROM A DISTANCE, KEEPING A CLOSE

EYE ON PROCEEDINGS.

[MUSIC]

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

- THE DANCE COMES TO AN END WITH A - SHOW OF DOMINANCE, AND THE

FEMALE MAKES HER CHOICE.

ALL THE LOSER CAN DO IS LOOK ON

AS SHE LEADS THE VICTOR AWAY.

- BUT HE SHOULDN'T WORRY, BECAUSE - AS WE'VE SEEN TODAY, THERE ARE

PLENTY OF BIRDS IN THE WORLD, SO

HE WON'T ALWAYS BE ALONE.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON

TODAY'S ADVENTURE TO DISCOVER

- SOME OF OUR FAVORITE FEATHERED - FRIENDS.

WHETHER ABOVE THE CLOUDS OR

BELOW THE WATER, BIRDS CAN

THRIVE AND SURVIVE IN ALMOST ANY

ENVIRONMENT.

JOIN US AGAIN ON ANOTHER "EARTH

ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]