I used to think the whole 'birds aren't real' thing was just a dumb joke

Honestly, I saw the stickers and memes for a couple years and thought it was just a silly online bit. Then, about six months ago, I was in Denver and saw a huge flock of starlings move in a perfect grid pattern over the city. It looked totally unnatural, like a drone swarm. I went down a rabbit hole that night and found a guy's video from 2019 comparing bird behavior footage from the 80s to now. The difference in how they move in groups is pretty wild. The old footage looks messy and random, but a lot of the new drone shots show these tight, synchronized turns. I'm not saying I'm fully convinced, but that visual proof made me stop laughing at the idea. Has anyone else seen a specific piece of evidence that made them pause on this one?

3 comments

3 Comments

matthewdixon1mo ago

Nah, you're seeing patterns. Birds have always done that flocking thing. The old footage is just lower quality, makes it look messy.

diana5121mo ago

Lower quality footage" made me remember my dad's old VHS tapes of family trips. The birds in the background just look like gray smudges, so you might be onto something.

spencer_coleman1mo ago

But that's exactly what better cameras would show, right? More detail, not less. If the old birds were doing perfect grids, the blurry tapes would just make it look smoother, not more messy. The new tech is catching what was always there.