In honor of the Christmas Bird Count, the nation’s longest running community science bird project, this week we bring to your living room our finest feathered flicks.
You may think us feather-brained for leaving off classics like Winged Migration, March of the Penguins, or The Big Year, but we can’t stop raven about these impeckable picks.
Birders
A diverse number of migratory birds travel thousands of miles back and forth across the US-Mexico border each year. They have no regard for man-made laws and barriers. Dedicated Birders on both sides of the border and all sides of the political spectrum, share a passion for these creatures and for their perilous journey. The documentary short BIRDERS celebrates those who observe, record, monitor and fight for the rights and habitats of these species, demonstrating another way to think about the passage for survival that is migration.
The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos
In a remote and forgotten wilderness, one of nature’s last great mysteries unfolds: the birth, life and death of a million crimson-winged flamingos. Against a dramatic backdrop of never-before filmed landscapes, these secretive birds struggle to survive and prevail over danger and fate. This inspiring story, set in the extraordinary ‘otherworld’ of Lake Natron in northern Tanzania, the cradle of humankind, reminds us: here on earth is a universe waiting to be discovered.
Birders: The Central Park Effect
Birders: The Central Park Effect reveals the extraordinary array of wild birds who grace Manhattan’s celebrated patch of green and the equally colorful, full-of-attitude New Yorkers who schedule their lives around the rhythms of migration. Acclaimed author Jonathan Franzen, an idiosyncratic trombone technician, a charming fashion-averse teenager, and a bird-tour leader who’s recorded every sighting she’s made since the 1940s are among the film’s cast of characters. Featuring spectacular wildlife footage capturing the changing seasons, this lyrical documentary transports the viewer to a dazzling world that goes all but unnoticed by the 38 million people who visit America’s most famous park each year.
People of a Feather
Featuring stunning footage from seven winters in the Arctic, People of a Feather takes you through time into the world of the Inuit on the Belcher Islands in Canada’s Hudson Bay. Connecting past, present and future is a unique relationship with the eider duck. Eider down, the warmest feather in the world, allows both Inuit and bird to survive harsh Arctic winters. Traditional life is juxtaposed with modern challenges as both Inuit and eiders confront changing sea ice and ocean currents disrupted by the massive hydroelectric dams powering New York and eastern North America. Inspired by Inuit ingenuity and the technology of a simple feather, the film is a call to action to implement energy solutions that work with nature.
Piper
A hungry sandpiper hatchling ventures from her nest for the first time to dig for food by the shoreline. The problem is, the food is buried in the sand where scary waves roll up.
Honorable Mentions
Usually we try to stick to movies you can stream via subscription services you probably already have, but this week we have two picks that aren’t available for streaming without incurring additional rental fees. However, we feel that for the minor cost (of which we do NOT receive a cut), these films are worth watching.
| World-renowned wildlife cinematographer, Neil Rettig, embarks on the most challenging assignment of his career: to find and film the rarest eagle on the planet. An expertly woven tale with stunning cinematography, Bird of Prey journeys deep into the vanishing world of the Great Philippine Eagle and reveals an inspiring group of people that are determined to save the world’s most critically endangered eagle species from extinction. |
| Aishol-pan, a 13-year-old girl, trains to become the first female in 12 generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter and rises to the pinnacle of a tradition that has been handed down from father to son for centuries. While there are many old Kazakh eagle hunters who vehemently reject the idea of any female taking part in their ancient tradition, Aisholpan’s father, Nurgaiv, believes that a girl can do anything a boy can, as long as she’s determined. |