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When National Geographic published the Ìýin 1906, its board members were outraged—they couldn’t understand why the eminent adventure magazine would sensationalize itself by turningÌýinto "." But the readers were hooked right away, and over the last century, their enthusiasm has inspired Nat Geo to become a powerhouse source of wildlife imagery.

In today's image-driven world of media, Nat Geo continues to astound and delight. Lucky for us, many of those projectsÌýfocus on birds—a 2012ÌýÌýon all 39 species of birds-of-paradise was the result ofÌýa several-year expedition by two ornithologists to more than 28 tropical locations.ÌýThat same yearÌýNat Geo teamed up with The Wild Bird Trust to launchÌýa semi-weeklyÌýonlineÌýphoto series centered aroundÌýthreatened avians and conservation efforts from all over the world—the collection is now in itsÌý.Ìý

Nat GeoÌýalso supports soloÌýconservation crusades.ÌýAbout ten years ago, freelance photographerÌýJoel Sartore began documentingÌýevery captive animal species around the world to highlight the modern extinction crisis. The project, known as , is partially funded by Nat Geo.ÌýMore than 4,500 creatures have been photographed to date, including numerousÌýbirds, from oystercatchers and Sanderlings, to hornbillsÌýand Sunbitterns—a±ô±ô of the images can beÌýfound .ÌýSome of Sartore’s other work can also been seen in the group's latest book.

The book, Rarely Seen: Photographs of the Extraordinary,Ìýholds 400 gorgeous pages of international marvels. And amidst the mammals and landscapes are plenty of delightful shots of birds.ÌýScroll down to view some of our favorite scenesÌýfrom the book.

Mortal Combat

Black Tie Affair

Organized Hoarding

Sashimi to Go

Yin and Yang

Feathers on Fleek

Warmth in Numbers

Antarctica's Next Top Model

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Rarely Seen Photographs of the Extraordinary, foreward by Stephen Alvarez,ÌýNational Geographic Books, 400 pages, $22.11. Buy it onÌý.