BBC: Wings 3D Page #3

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[GROWLS]

There is an uneasy alliance

between vultures and lions...

...as both spy on one another

to find fresh meat.

But today, the vulture won't need

the lion's help.

[AIR WHISTLING]

The torrential waters of the Mara River

are about to present...

...an opportunity

that happens just once a year.

The vulture simply has to

keep her wits about her.

The wildebeests must cross the river

to reach their breeding grounds...

...on the short grass plains.

[AIR WHISTLING]

It's the most dangerous time

of their lives.

The vulture just needs

one more piece of the puzzle.

[GROWLS]

The crocs have waited a year

for this moment.

Their prey doesn't suspect a thing.

The vultures simply fly downstream...

...where the bodies are duly delivered.

There is no rest for the wicked.

Now the arguing begins.

[SCREECHING]

Outnumbered,

a marabou stork bides his time.

Eventually, everyone gets their fill.

In a few days...

...they will follow the herd south

and be gone.

Just a little further north

lies the Great Rift Valley...

...home to one of the most graceful birds

in the world.

The lesser flamingo

is a restless traveler...

constantly searching

for the perfect lake.

Today, most of the world's population

have chosen Lake Bogoria...

...in northern Kenya.

This is one of the greatest gatherings

ever seen.

A total of two million birds.

They fringe the lake

with a ribbon of pink...

...but this beauty is deceptive.

Here, volcanic springs

poison the tranquil waters.

They create a caustic brew...

...killing most forms of water life.

However, the same

alkaline conditions...

...allow a special algae to flourish.

And it's the flamingos' only food.

Their curved bills and long necks...

...are designed to extract it

from the lake.

The bill acts as a sieve...

...filtering the algae from the water.

The flamingos appear, as if by magic...

...whenever the algae bloom.

For a brief time,

among these steaming vents...

...they find their Shangri-La.

But there is trouble in paradise.

The African fish eagle.

[AIR WHISTLING]

No fish survive in this toxic lake...

...so it hunts flamingos instead.

It flushes its prey.

In the air, weaker birds

are easier to spot.

A victim is found.

[FLAMINGO SQUAWKING]

For the survivors, peace briefly returns.

But flamingos

never really stop traveling.

Their life is a continual quest

for the perfect lake.

On the other side of the world,

in the heart of South America...

...lies the vast Amazon jungle.

It's home to yet more

colorful travelers.

Like flamingos, scarlet macaws

are always on the move.

But their seasonal journeys

are governed...

...by the fruiting of rainforest trees.

[SQUAWKING]

But they have a problem.

In the dry season,

fruit is less available...

...and the alternative food...

...is often full of poisons.

They need to find a cure

for the indigestion they get...

...from their less-than-perfect diet.

The secret remedy...

...can be found

alongside the river.

But others have got here first.

[CHIRPING]

Mealy parrots...

...descend in droves...

...seeking the same popular cure.

Their presence is good news

to the scarlet and green macaws.

It means that there are

no predators around.

But if the coast...

...is clear, the macaws expect

to have the place to themselves.

And mealies know their place...

...in the pecking order.

[SQUAWKING]

Like the other parrots...

...the macaws are here

for one thing only:

Mud.

But this is no ordinary mud.

It's one that neutralizes the poisons...

...in their rainforest diet.

The clay not only settles

their stomachs...

...it provides them with the nutrients...

...missing from their food.

Macaws are argumentative birds...

...and the best spots

are keenly fought over.

But they are surprisingly nervous too...

...especially when

some unwelcome visitors arrive.

Spider monkeys.

They're hardly a danger...

...but their unruly antics

put the birds on edge.

It's now the monkeys' turn

to raid the jungle medicine chest.

And the macaws just travel on.

As the summer ends in North America...

...some bald eagles

stop over in British Columbia...

...before beginning

their long journey south again.

[SCREECHING]

Like all birds,

they have an unerring ability...

...to be in the right place

at the right time.

[AIR WHISTLING]

Young eagles learn these tricks

of survival...

...by following the adults.

[TRILLING]

An older eagle has seen it all before.

[AIR WHISTLING]

He knows the exact time...

...that salmon arrive

from the ocean to breed.

It's a skill he shares with bears.

[SCREECHES]

It's wise to be cautious.

Grizzly bears don't like sharing

their meals.

[EAGLE SCREECHES]

A young eagle also holds back...

...ready to watch and learn.

[GRUNTING]

But the salmon are a challenge...

...even for bears.

They are chum salmon,

up to three feet long...

...and among the most aggressive

of their kind.

Their hooked jaws and teeth...

...are designed for fighting rivals.

With fish of this size and ferocity...

...it's best to let the bears

do the hard work.

[BEAR GRUNTS]

[BEAR GRUNTS]

The eagle must sneak closer

to the action...

...for any chance of a meal.

[BEAR GRUNTING]

Stealing from the bears

would be asking for trouble.

But with so much food around...

...the bears can afford to be choosy...

...taking a bite and moving on.

At the peak of the salmon run...

...catching fish is soon just a game.

It's time for the eagle

to make his move.

But he still must be cautious.

Grizzlies are notoriously

bad-tempered.

He must eat as quickly

as he can before the bears notice.

It doesn't take them long.

[GRUNTS]

[SCREECHING]

[GRUNTING]

[SCREECHING]

[SCREECHING]

He'll eat his fill here,

playing dare with the bears...

...before heading south

as the fall takes hold.

[HONKING]

In Europe, autumn triggers...

...a similar mass movement of birds.

Brent geese, having left

their breeding sites in the Arctic...

...head south to warmer climes.

The birds fly with an extended family...

...of aunts, uncles, and other relatives.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

By sharing the decision-making...

...they make better choices...

...such as how to avoid

gathering storms.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

[HONKING]

Having flown over 2000 miles

from Arctic Russia...

...this family's travels are nearly over.

The coastal marshes around

Mont Saint-Michel in northern France...

...are where they will make their home.

[HONKING]

[BELLS TOLLING]

They will stay throughout the winter...

...only returning to the Arctic in the spring.

Some overwintering birds...

...have more metropolitan tastes.

As winter beckons...

...ten million starlings

from Northern Europe...

...converge on a few favorite spots...

...in the center of Rome.

Here they find warmth,

and relatively few predators.

Their evening murmurations. ..

...create nature's greatest aerial display.

A favorite roost...

...is an ancient cemetery

in the heart of the city.

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