Bird Names

The names of nearly 150 North American bird species have not aged well, ruffling feathers in the ornithological world. A Canadian led film crew who are also BIPOC and Queer birders take flight on a journey through culture, history, and ecology to explore why this unprecedented renaming matters: for conservation, for equity, and for the future of the planet. This timely and thought provoking short documentary embarks on an eye-opening journey through the groundbreaking movement to rename North American birds historically named after White men with troubling legacies. As bird populations continue to plummet, and US discourse around equity becomes more polarized, the debate over renaming bird species has never been more relevant highlighting how the names we choose for the creatures around us impact both our understanding of the natural world and our societal progress. Premiering on CBC, this film asks: who gets to honor nature and how do these names shape the future of conservation?