Tiny Crane Chick's First Moments
For this crane family, the raising of their young has just begun. And like many first-time parents, these crane parents learn through experience.
Preview of Born in the Rockies: First Steps
From early spring to late summer, follow new animal mothers through the trials of raising a family in the Rocky Mountains. Cranes migrate north to give birth, a bison mother protects her lambs from threats and young mountain goats learn to climb.
The Fish That Breathes Air
A lungfish spends each dry season asleep underground, waiting for the waters to arrive before emerging. As the waterhole dries up at the end of the wet season, it will bury down to spend the dry season safely cocooned in the mud.
Small Bird Narrowly Escapes Eagle's Clutches
Ten million red-billed quelea rest at the waterhole during their migration. These small birds are prey for larger birds, including steppe eagles. One quelea escapes the jaws of a terrapin only to be spotted by an eagle and must hide in a log before attempting to escape.
Tiny Dung Beetle Ping-Pongs Up Termite Mound
The mound the termites abandoned might not look much of a threat, but to a dung beetle, it’s a mountain whose slopes are covered with pitfall traps. A dung beetle is a walnut-sized package of determination, but he is also upside down pushing backwards so he can’t see where he is going.
Preview of The Elephant and the Termite
Witness the creation of the waterhole, one of Africa’s greatest wildlife meeting places manufactured by giant elephants and tiny termites. From baboons to dung beetles to chameleons, an entire community of creatures call the waterhole their home.
Making of "Season of the Osprey"
Filmmaker Jacob Steinberg reflects on the long process of making “Season of the Osprey,” the challenges of working in the ospreys’ element, and how he gained the trust of the subjects in order to capture the unique, intimate footage of the film.
Preview of Season of the Osprey
A veteran pair of ospreys return home to a Connecticut saltmarsh. Over one summer they must battle their enemies, withstand the elements, and hunt hundreds of fish, all to raise the next generation of these consummate sea hawks.
Osprey Chicks Learn to Fly
After their parents leave the nest for the winter, their three young ones are left to fend for themselves. The parents don't teach the young ospreys how to dive and catch fish, so they must teach themselves.
Osprey Pair Guards Nest From Intruders
The ospreys are having a housing crisis. They want to nest up high, but there are not enough spots for the birds that have come to breed. The only way for the young, less-experienced birds to get a good nest site is to steal one.
Careful Osprey Parents Feed Chicks for the First Time
Within moments after the first chick hatches from her egg, a ritual begins that will play out every day for the next two months. Dad brings in a fresh fish, while mom tears tender pieces of it and delicately feeds the chicks.
The Power of Pollinators
Everyone has heard of honeybees, but what about the 4,000 species of wild, native bees that live alongside honey bees here in North America? These lesser-known, but equally industrious insects not only pollinate our crops but also support healthy, diverse ecosystems across the continent. Unfortunately, many of these native bee species are in trouble.
Preview of My Garden of a Thousand Bees
A story of surprise and revelation. A wildlife filmmaker spends his time during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown filming the bees in his urban garden and discovers the many diverse species and personalities that exist in this insect family.
Busy Bee Builds an Intricate Fortress
This construction of grass stems takes bee architecture to new heights. The Red-Tailed Mason bee, nicknamed the Tent-Making bee, has solved the problem of other bees breaking into her nursery and it starts with a shell.
Bee Mating Ritual Caught on Camera
In the "bee highway," male bees search for female bees to mate with. When this male bee spots a female, he becomes transfixed and does a bit of a dance.
Monster Bee Defends his Territory and his Mate
There is a new bee out in the garden, and he is a "monster." This male Wool Carder bee will mate with any female and chase away any male that comes into his territory.
How Glowing Poop Helps Bat Conservation
To track the migration patterns and distances of the lesser long-nosed bats, Ecologist Rodrigo Medellin coats the bats he catches in harmless UV dust, which they lick off and digest. The glowing dust passes through their system, and by tracking the glowing bat droppings, he can prove how far they’ve flown.
Bat Birth Caught On Camera for First Time
Ecologist Rodrigo Medellin set up remote cameras in a bat “nursery.” The cameras capture a behavior that has never been filmed before: a mother giving birth.
Bat Volcano Erupts at Night
More than three million bats live in the caves of Calakmul. To avoid being eaten by predators, they form a living tornado, or "bat volcano," when they fly. In this whirling mass, it’s almost impossible for their predators to choose a target.
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