Birdsong is a wonderful documentary which dare I say is too short at 50 minutes. It’s a beautiful ode to human determination, breathtaking scenery including capturing a moment of murmuration and a stark reminder of what we might lose, if birdsong is lost.
Birdsong follows one man’s quest, Sean Ronayne, to record the bird song of 200 species of birds in Ireland. 63% of these birds are at risk of extinction and when we meet Sean he’s recorded 151 individual bird songs. It’s beautifully shot and a compelling portrait of human determination to capture nature’s call before it becomes extinct.
I’d never given much thought of birdsong. During the pandemic I noticed there was birdsong but that was that. In this documentary, Sean gives a wonderful interpretation of what their song represents – the fact that the birds are giving thanks in the morning to say they survived the night and the predators. It’s quite remarkable how many birds he can identify, as well as demonstrating the intelligence of birds; we hear a jay barking at a dog.
His deep obsession is marked by an Asperger’s diagnosis. However, rather than dwell on this, Kathleen Harris, the film maker chooses to focus on the positive aspect of what this condition results in; obsession to record something for the good of everyone. Without his singular obsession, we wouldn’t have the recording of all these birds.
The film follows his quest to quite remote, never before seen parts of Ireland as Sean records the bird song, such as Tory Island. After watching this documentary you will never listen to bird song in quite the same way again. Sound is something we take for granted but Birdsong will make you stop and think about the importance of nature and birds.
Birdsong is now available on BBC4 to stream.
