Published on March 27th, 2015 | by The Green Divas
Songbirds are Disappearing: New Documentary Sheds a Light
by Green Diva Lynn
Songbirds are disappearing at an alarming rate, and we’re losing more than just the beautiful sounds of spring. The Messenger is a new documentary that looks at what’s happening to songbirds and what we can do.
Who doesn’t love waking up to the sound of songbirds? What would Spring be like without the cheerful morning orchestra that erases what’s left of our winter blues?
We may have lost almost half the songbirds that filled the skies fifty years ago.
~ Dr. Bridget Stutchbury | York University
Su Rynard, Director of documentary film The Messenger, talks to Green Diva Meg about what’s causing the serious decline of songbirds in this Green Divas Heart Wildlife segment.
LISTEN:
The Messenger, a stunning documentary film, delivers a visually thrilling ode to the beauty and importance of these imperiled creatures, why songbirds are disappearing, and what it will mean to all of us on both a global and human level if we lose them.
Help them finish this important film by donating here.
Here’s more about why The Messenger needs your support…
The inspiration behind The Messenger…
Check out the official trailer for the film at the top of the page and read on for why disappearing songbirds sparked the director’s passion.
In recent years I noticed that birds I used to see – an evening grosbeak, a flycatcher, a barn swallow — were no longer around. With my busy life, I thought maybe I was just missing them. Then I discovered that this was not the case. Songbirds are disappearing, and their absence is a message to us all.
To understand why this is happening, and what can be done, we embarked on a journey. Over the course of a year, following the seasons and the birds, our team filmed on three different continents. We discovered that the causes are many, and the solutions are few. Yet around the world, we met people who are concerned and are working for change – as this is not just about the future of birds, it’s about us too.
Humans share an ageless bond with birds, their song, and their persistent presence in our lives. In ancient times, to predict the future, humans looked to the flights and songs of birds. Today once more, the birds have something to tell us.
For me, the first step was to simply stop, listen and see for myself what was going on in the skies above. The next step is this film.
— Su Rynard, Director
Take action!
~ Contribute to The Messenger to help get this film in front of a larger audience.
~ Sign the endorsement at borealbirdsneedhalf.org to help protect at least half of North America’s boreal forest, the critical breeding grounds for billions of birds!
~ Help spread the word by sharing this post! Use #MessengerDoc or #SongbirdSOS.