The Endemic Birds of Madagascar
The endemic Birds of Madagascar | A 4 DVD set featuring 130 Malagasy endemics. Produced and published by Guy Eldridge | Turaco Tours Productions | email Turacotours@aol.com
This 4-DVD set features 130 endemic species, filmed over a period of 6 months. Running time: 5 hours.
This is a brief review as there is little to say. On the positive side this is a brilliantly shot sumptuous set of DVDs which the film make described to me at the British Bird Fair as ‘Birding Porn’. If porn titillates, gives great pleasure and is stirs all one’s juices then he got it right. The birds are the stars but they are filmed crisply giving many shots and lots of background sound and habitat, which would be the very best way to familiarize yourself with the many endemics if you were lucky enough to be planning a trip to Madagascar. Each ‘chapter’ just gives you the name of the bird you are about to encounter… and what, on the third viewing, I realized was the rough location.
On the negative side there is no supporting documentation at all, not even an annotated list of species tucked into the DVD box… just a list on the back cover of what species are shown on what disc. This is a real missed opportunity, which could do much to obviate the need for any voiced commentary – something lacking form the DVds and I for one applaud that as such commentary is often a distraction. However, I am sure that many people would like to have some supplementary information on habitat, range etc. that could easily be added and, at least, a clue as to how to run the DVDs on different platforms. I hope that the next edition takes this on board.
Fatbirder
Buy this dvd from www.nhbs.com
Created: 08th Jan 2009
