Must-Watch Bird Documentaries

Bird is the word.
Published on December 21, 2022 | Last updated on July 02, 2024 by Beatrice Alvarez

Hope you're in the mood for a whole flock of bird facts because we are going to get you ready to impress anyone at the next party you attend.

One of the fun things about studying animals, in my opinion, is learning their various collective nouns. Different species of birds have some of the most amazing (and poetic, really) collective nouns. You've probably heard of a murder of crows and a parliament of owls. But are you familiar with the following groups?

A flamboyance of flamingos. A descent of woodpeckers. A charm, or bouquet, of hummingbirds. A convocation of eagles. A duet of osprey. A party, or band, of blue jays. A college, or radiance, of cardinals. A muster, or ostentation, of peacocks. A committee of vultures. (There are so many more but I'll stop now.) These terms make so much sense when you think about the specific bird and how they look and act when gathered.

And now for the show you've been waiting for: please enjoy this collection of bird documentaries for new and longtime birders alike.

Penguins: Meet the Family


In case you were only familiar with the penguins of Antarctica, here's your chance to learn about all 18 species of penguins! This wonderful film from NATURE has it all.

I laughed, I cried, I bookmarked NATURE's handy penguin fact sheet.

In this clip, we get to see penguins in Cape Town, South Africa cross busy streets during - during rush hour, no less! - to get back to their nests.

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Raptors: A Fistful of Daggers


Once you learn about raptors, they quickly become a favorite. They are simply amazing. Everything from heir unmatched vision and hearing to their elite flying skills combines with the weapons attached to their feet to make them some of the coolest predators on Earth.

In this two-part series from NATURE, we get treated to some incredible footage of raptors in an array of habitats. From secretary birds to grey owls to striated caracara (thought to be the smartest raptor of them all!), you'll be stunned at how these birds locate and catch their prey and survive in some really harsh environments.

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What came first? The chicken or the egg?


The egg came first! Trust. And trust the most excellent folks from EONS to  explain it better than I could.

And once you've entered the egg zone, you'll want to know more so go check out the Be Smart episode titled "Why Don't Birds Lay Square Eggs?" It's an easy transition from there to learning about the archaeopteryx, a paravian dinosaur in "When Birds Had Teeth."