Did you know that marabou storks are known as "undertaker birds?" Or that the spoonbill's bill is actually a highly specialized tool? Birds are some of the oldest and most intriguing creatures on the planet, dating from the time of the dinosaurs. From the flamingo to the hummingbird, the eagle to the ostrich, this encyclopedia profiles more than 400 of the world's most fascinating species, offering a truly comprehensive overview of birds from every continent and giving a sense of their incredible diversity. It explains each bird's anatomy, habitat, distribution, lifecycle, and diet with informative, lively text, and features fact boxes, annotated illustrations, and maps.