• All That Breathes is astunning documentary about three Muslim men in New Delhi, India, who have devoted their lives to compassionate caring for injured kites, birds of prey who are falling from the skies due to air pollution.
  • The Big Year is an enjoyable comedy about three avid birders who embark on a year-long adventure to see who can spot the most species of birds in North America. Despite getting sucked into the rut of competition, they do experience many magical and a few mystical moments with rare birds.
  • A Bird of the Air is a story of a beautiful and talkative parrot who proves to be a miracle worker bringing two lonely souls together for a quest that changes them both.
  • Birders: The Central Park Effect presents profiles of seven committed and passionate birdwatchers in this expanse of green in the middle of New York City. Among them are an articulate young man who lists seven pleasures in birding, a seasoned veteran who has been giving daily bird walks for 20 years, a writer, and an enthusiastic teenager.

  • Fly Away Home is based on experiments being conducted to change bird migration paths when traditional routes have become dangerous or the destination habitats have been destroyed, an interesting endeavor in itself. The movie adds excitement and emotion, turning it a celebration of the creative ways human beings and animals can assist and love one another.
  • Kestrel's Eye zeroes in on two European falcons who live in a nook of a 13th century church steeple in a Swedish town. This riveting documentary elicits our feelings of deep reverence for these kestrels as we watch the world from their point of view.
  • The Legend of Pale Male is an engrossing documentary about the yearning of a large group of New Yorkers for a connection with the wild — incarnated in the redtail hawk they name Pale Male. The drama surrounding the most filmed bird in human history keeps us entranced as we witness the beauty of his flight and his efforts to raise young in a nest on the side of a residential building.

  • March of the Penguins is an extraordinary French documentary on the lives and habits of Emperor Penguins in Antarctica. They are incredibly adaptive birds whose survival instincts, mating rituals, and parenting skills have been honed over millions of years. As a special added feature following the review of the film, read our list of seven spiritual things we learned from these penguins.
  • Paulie celebrates the deep ties of love and loyalty between human beings and animals. And in a comic way, it lampoons the patronizing attitudes some adults have about parrots. Paulie has the last laugh on them.
  • Up is a rousing animated feature about a memorable cross-generation friendship that is also a probe on the true meaning of adventure. One of the lead characters is an exotic bird who is in danger. He serves as a representative of many species which are in peril of extinction.
  • The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill is an astonishing documentary about a gentle, caring, and sensitive man who models for us the empathy, respect, patience, and curiosity we should have for all animals large or small. He feeds and looks after a flock of about four dozen wild parrots and in the process shows us the value of cross-species communication and sharing.
  • Winged Migration is a glorious celebration of birds in flight, conveying the beauty and the amazing feats of strength and endurance of their long distance journeys. After watching this extraordinary documentary, your heart will take wing with these brave little beings and, undoubtedly, you will spot one or two that can be a spiritual teacher for you, telling you about life or death or something in between.

More Films on Birds