Award-winning wildlife presenter Brett Westwood explores our relationship with birds and reptiles, and their impact on human culture and society.

Ever since the first prehistoric artist etched animal paintings onto a cave wall, humans have been inspired by the living world. It has enriched our lives in science, art, literature and music, defining society at every level across the globe. In these 13 episodes from Radio 4's groundbreaking Natural Histories, presenter Brett Westwood looks at two remarkable types of animals: birds and reptiles, who share a common ancestor and are often thought to belong to the same group.

His imagination takes flight as he considers the rich, tangled life of the cuckoo; soaks in the sound bath of a nightingale's song; and probes the paradox of the pigeon with fellow presenter Verity Sharp. Brett also explores a bird that has become a byword for male beauty: the peacock, and guides us through the history of the ethereal swan, from ancient Greece to Swan Lake to Putin's Russia. Plus, he analyses birds' eggs as a symbol for new life, a metaphor for the origin of the universe - and a delicious staple of cookery. Turning to the reptile world, Brett tracks down nature's master of disguise, the chameleon; learns how the crocodile can boast of being a god, a sports logo, a sly trickster and a comic book hero; and marvels at the magnificent dinosaurs, who ruled the earth for 160 million years and still captivate us today.

Weaving together nature, history, biology and biography, these fascinating programmes illuminate the complex connections between human beings and our feathered and scaly friends, revealing the unexpected ways we have interacted with them, and how they have changed the way we see the world.

Production credits

Presented by Brett Westwood with Verity Sharp (Pigeon)

Produced in partnership with the Natural History Museum, London

Producers: Andrew Dawes, Sarah Blunt, Melvin Rickarby, Tim Dee, Tom Bonnett, Sarah Pitt

Series producer: Mary Colwell

Episode guide

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates:

Birds Eggs 1 September 2015

Peacock 31 July 2018

Parrots 22 September 2016

Hornbill 13 October 2015

Honeyguide 18 October 2016

Swallow 3 October 2017

Cuckoo 8 August 2017

Nightingale 12 September 2017

Swan 25 September 2018

Penguin 18 September 2018

Dinosaurs 28 July 2015

Crocodiles 29 September 2015

Chameleon 11 October 2016