THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES & NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

'Steve Brusatte has a rare gift for bringing the distant past vividly and fascinatingly to life' - Bill Bryson

'One of the stars of modern palaeontology' – National Geographic
'An unqualified success from beginning to end' – New Scientist
'An enjoyable tour of evolutionary science' – Financial Times
'[This] origin story of birds is exciting . . . natural history writing at its best' – Times Literary Supplement
'A delight . . . unflaggingly fascinating' – The Sunday Times
'A gifted writer . . . Brusatte makes us look anew at these feathered beasts' – The Times, Best Summer Books
'Soaringly brilliant' – Alice Roberts

A New Scientist and Times most anticipated book of 2026, from the bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs.

Billions of birds share the planet with us. With their flamboyant plumage and joyous dawn serenades, many of them are impossible to miss. But how did they get here, how did they break the bounds of Earth and begin to fly, and how does their legacy shape our world?

In delightfully energetic prose, expert palaeontologist Steve Brusatte takes us through their 150-million-year history, from their origins among small carnivorous dinosaurs to the 10,000-plus species that thrive today. Along the way, we meet fantastic birds from all around the world, some known only through fossils. There are elephant birds that stand as high as a basketball hoop and lay eggs as big as watermelons; demon ducks that weigh more than cows; aeroplane-sized seabirds that soar the world’s thermals; and predatory penguins the size of gorillas.

Lively, majestic and full of wonder, The Story of Birds will ensure you never see birds the same way again.

'Steve Brusatte tells the amazing story of birds with enthusiasm and brio' – Henry Gee

'An eye-opening tour into the amazing world of birds' – Venki Ramakrishnan

*The Story of Birds was no. 10 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction best seller list for the week ending May 2, 2026.