The Most Perfect Thing in the World: Inside and Outside a Bird's Egg

Bird eggs are an important part of our culture, a symbol of fertility, an integral attribute of religious beliefs and mythological representations. Since ancient times, collectors have hunted for eggs and often risked their lives, climbing rocky slopes in search of unique specimens. The egg may seem very simple, but this simplicity is only apparent. One of the leading ornithologists of our time, a well-known British science communicator, and a recipient of numerous awards for research in behavioral ecology and ornithology, Tim Birkhead shares his unique knowledge and reveals many secrets of this true wonder of nature. ‘I have spent the best years of my life—fully four decades—studying a wide variety of birds and their eggs, and my goal is to invite you on a truly unprecedented journey. This is a voyage into the secret world of the bird's egg; a territory where only a few have ventured before, and no one has traveled the route I have planned. We will journey from the surface of the egg to its genetic center and along the way witness three major events in the reproduction of offspring in birds. We will see the bird’s egg for what it really represents—a self-contained and independent system of embryo development.’ (Tim Birkhead)