Why Birds Sing
Original title: Why Birds Sing
Duration: 80’
Producer: Iain Dodgeon
Director: Archie Powell
Participant: Latoya Grant
Company: Cheetah Television, An Endemol Company
Scientific field: Zoology
Year: 2007
Country: UK
Inspires by musician and philosopher David Rothenberg’s popular book of the same name,
Why Birds Sing contained a rich mix of science, philosophy, ornithology, music and
performance. The documentary explored the intriguing, charming, complex and often
conflicting theories on why these little creatures sing like they do - and why we, as humans
are so attracted to the music of nature.
At the centre of the film was David himself, convinced that birdsong does not just sound like
music, it IS music. He believed that birds might actually be singing for the same reason
humans sing: for the sheer joy of it, and at times his proclamations bring him into conflict with
an unreceptive scientific community.
Why Birds Sing 
