It's Tough to Be a Bird (1969)

This starts off quite entertainingly with a comedy-poetic narration accompanying an animated look at the many ways humanity tries to do away with our flying friends. Everything from cages to arrows and bullets. Then we pose the question. How did the planet even get birds in the first place? Well, now we are taken on a quirky chronology through the history of ornithology from fish to feathers. Then mankind (and videotape) arrives and when we discover we can't quite emulate their natural skills in the air, we do everything from venerate them to roast them. Did you know the origins of the expression "chicken out"? "Twitchers" love to spend hours watching them and ultimately, more and more of their species are going the way of the dodo so we need to start being kinder to these crucial species that are essential to the survival of all around us. The first five minutes is well paced and good fun, thereafter it's becomes a bit of a stock footage fest that stretches the wit of the writer just a bit too far. Condensed to half it's length, it would have been punchier and probably more effective at delivering it's ultimate message about conservation and the beauty of these creatures (even the buzzards!). Watchable but forgettable, sorry.