Islands

Birds often use islands as remote fortresses where they can safely raise their young; without predators, some birds change their lifestyles and even give up the power of flight.

When animals find themselves on islands, they race to be the best at exploiting new niches, which leads to some weird and wonderful designs.

Being stranded on an island means that space, food, and water are limited resources; animals are vulnerable to sudden changes and new arrivals; to make the resources last, some animals have gradually become smaller than their mainland relatives.