NZ On Screen's THE BIRD COLLECTION Takes Flight

NZ On Screen has given Aotearoa something to crow about with the launch of a new collection that puts New Zealand’s native birds squarely in the spotlight. From moa to muttonbird and kiwi to kea, ‘The Bird Collection’ contains bite-sized and full-length offerings that celebrate the unique birdlife of Aotearoa.

Timed to support Forest & Bird’s competition for Bird of the Year 2021 | Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau, this flock of footage aims to help you cast your vote for your favourite native bird and bring our feathered friends a little closer to home — while raising awareness of the plight of our endangered birds.

You’ll find plenty of commentary around the defending Bird of the Year, the kākāpō, with our flightless, nocturnal – and world’s heaviest – parrot taking centre stage in the Natural History New Zealand documentary Kāpāpō – Night Parrot. The Edge of Extinction follows the two-year project to find, and relocate, two male birds to unite with the last remaining female to invigorate population growth. In Meet the Locals – Sirocco the Kākāpō we get an introduction to our first hand-reared male kākāpō, who perfers to hang out with humans rather than his own species.

Extinction, and its ever-present threat, is a common thread throughout the collection. We include a selection of screen moments documenting some species that are no longer with us, with In Search of the Moa and The Mighty Moa. Short doco Tales from Te Papa – Who Killed the Huia? looks at who might be responsible for the destruction of this treasured bird. You’ll also see evidence of conservation success in The Black Robin – A Chatham Island Story and The Robin’s Return. The Black Robin narrowly escaped extinction with only seven birds left in 1976, making the species one of the world’s rarest birds.

Actor, broadcaster, journalist and bird lover Elisabeth Easther sets the scene for the collection in an accompanying backgrounder:

“Us New Zealanders, we love our birds. We even call ourselves kiwis. Some of us drink a beer called Tui — yeah right — and you’ll find birds on all our banknotes…you could put forward all sorts of reasons as to why we’re so batty about birds. It’s not just binocular-wielding twitchers either, because almost every citizen of Aotearoa can tell a tūī from a takahē, a kiwi from a kākā.”

Further collection highlights include the 1962 short Legend of Birds, which uses the relationship between Māori and manu as a platform to celebrate our bush birds. Jeremy Wells explores all things avian in Aoteaora in Birdland, and David Attenborough narrates Grandma, a documentary on the northern royal albatross colony at Taiaroa Head, near Dunedin. Goodnight Kiwi and Russell Rooster even get a look in.

The Bird Collection contains more than 50 bird-related titles, with plenty of National Film Unit and NHNZ productions to get in a flap about. Click here for the full list of titles.

NZ On Screen is New Zealand’s screen-culture showcase, with more than 4,500 free-to-view titles from the beginning of the screen industry to present day. Find us at www.nzonscreen.com

VIEW THE COLLECTION

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