Narrated by Keeley Hawes (Scoop, Line of Duty, Bodyguard), Love Nature‘s latest original series, Airborne, takes viewers on a journey with a remarkable range of charismatic creatures, each navigating the challenges and triumphs of life in the sky. Filmed across 19 countries on five continents, this captivating four-part series showcases 32 different species of airborne animals that fly, glide and leap through the air. From nose-diving peregrine falcons in Canada to the wing-beating, fiery-throated hummingbirds of Costa Rica and the effortlessly air-gliding squirrels of Japan, Airborne reveals the astonishing stories of animals that conquer gravity and thrive in the skies in ways that will surprise and inspire. Airborne premieres Sunday, December 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Love Nature in Canada during the channel’s nationwide Free Preview event. Love Nature is also available via Prime Video Channels with Airborne available to stream from Monday, December 8, with new episodes uploaded weekly.
Airborne takes viewers on an exhilarating adventure through the ultimate flight path, showcasing everything from flawless take-offs and long-haul flights to challenging landings. Each episode highlights a unique aspect of flight. Catching Air explores how different species, from rookies to sky masters, use air to their advantage. In-flight Meals reveal the incredible ways animals defy gravity to gather food, whether on the ground, in the canopy, or high above. Love in the Air examines how animals utilize the air to find and keep a mate. Finally, Flight Path investigates the remarkable navigation techniques animals rely on, from innate GPS systems to complicated routes through crowded skies, demonstrating both power and precision.
Airborne is co-produced by Love Nature and Sky Nature and produced by award-winning production company, Humble Bee Films. The series is executive produced by Charlotte Crosse and Stephen Dunleavy at Humble Bee Films. Poppy Dixon is the executive producer for Sky Nature and for Love Nature, Alison Barrat, oversees commissioning and James Manfull executive produces the series.
Fun Facts from Filming:
- Filmed 32 species of animals.
- Filmed in 19 countries, across 5 continents.
- 61 shoots across 18 months.
- 51 camera ops worked on the series.
- The furthest location was Australia.
- The longest journey to the location was to the Tsingy National Park, Madagascar, 36 hours.
Fun Animal Facts:
- The wings of fiery-throated hummingbirds beat 30 times a second.
- Peregrine falcons are the fastest animals on Earth. They can dive at speeds up to 320 km/h (200 mph), stunning or killing their prey on impact with their clenched foot.
- Barn owls are one of the quietest fliers in the world. The structure of their feathers serve as a silencer.
- Tarsiers have eyes larger than their brains, helping them hunt in the dark as nocturnal hunters
- Dragonflies have the highest observed hunting success of any animal, with success rates around 95%.
- Draco lizards rarely descend to the ground, spending nearly all of their lives in the trees. They can glide with great control, using their tail to steer.
- Frigatebirds are the only birds known to hitch a lift using clouds.
- Honey bees can carry up to 80% of their body weight when flying.
- Orchid bees spend months in search of compounds to create a special cologne to attract females.
- Gannets can hit the water at 100 km/h, with air sacs that absorb more G-force than an astronaut at takeoff!
