David Attenborough to examine ostriches and dinosaurs

Sir David is making three new films to follow the six-part Life Story, which begins on BBC One next week

Sir David Attenborough is to go on the trail of birds of paradise, ostriches and dinosaurs in three new documentaries for BBC One and BBC Two.

He will follow the excavation of what could be the largest known dinosaur skeleton in Waking Giants, described as a "pre-historic detective story".

Another film will see the veteran broadcaster cast light on the appeal of birds of paradise from New Guinea.

The third documentary will examine ostriches and other flightless birds.

They are part of a raft of natural history programmes announced by the corporation on Thursday.

TV 'lacks variety'

BBC director general Tony Hall said he thought it was "the most ambitious range of natural history we've ever commissioned".

Sir David continues to be the face of the corporation's natural history coverage at the age of 88.

The latest announcement comes ahead of the start of his six-part BBC One series Life Story, which begins on 23 October. He is also due to front a 3D film about the Great Barrier Reef.

But he recently bemoaned the lack of variety on television and the "great number of subjects that aren't covered".

"You'd think that the more stations there are, the more varied the output," he told the Radio Times.

"But the practice is the reverse," the presenter continued. "The more you get, the more similar they become."

The BBC has also announced the launch of a new natural history website, BBC Earth.