The Birds Resources

Just what it sounds like—a massive collection of websites, blogs, articles, and Hitchcockiana.

A must-see with amazing detail about the making of the film—from catching the birds to painting the backdrops. The amount of work that went into each birdalicious scene was truly incredible.

The Hitchcock project analyzes a film a week. Here's Week 47: The Birds. It's a great analysis of how Hitchcock created shots to get exactly the effects he wanted.

The Birds has had a Facebook page since 2009. Wouldn't it have been awesome if they had a Twitter account, too?

The official website of Bodega Bay, including tourist info, articles, and information about the filming of The Birds.

AMC's Filmsite gives you a ton of analysis and a blow-by-blow account of the action.

Hear what the talking heads had to say about the film. Spoiler alert: They liked it.

There was a 1994 sequel, The Birds II: Land's End. Tippi Hedren had a bit part. She (and everybody involved) was embarrassed. It looks more like a remake of Jaws than The Birds, with an East Coast island mayor in deep denial of danger, and an old salt who knows all about killer birds.

Here's the text of the original story by Daphne du Maurier. After you've seen the film, you ask yourself how this could be as scary in print. Here's your answer.

There are lots of Hitchcock parodies in The Simpsons—all brilliant. Here's the one of The Birds, except with toddlers.

Sienna Miller is Tippi Hedren in this recent film about Hedren's relationship with Hitchcock in Marnie and The Birds.

Mad Magazine parodied the film in 1963. It's hard to find the full version online, but here's a sample cartoon panel featuring Alfred Hatchplot's film starring Tippi Headrinse.

The Guardian film critic Xan Brooks argues that The Birds is awesome and terrifying. Also awesome.

An interview with the lead actress about Hitchcock's abusive obsession with her.

Here's the original review from The New York Times, whose critic suggests you bring in that birdbath and bird feeder this minute.

A Freudian reading of The Birds (with a guest appearance by philosopher Slavoj Zizek).

On the 50th anniversary of the film's release, Moviefone tells us all the secrets behind the making of the film.

The 1963 trailer for The Birds, complete with lots of screaming.

Another trailer for The Birds—this one featuring less screaming and more Hitchcock nattering on goofily.

Screenwriter Evan Hunter explains how the film's ending was changed from his original version.

In an NPR interview, Camille Paglia argues that Hitchcock was not a misogynist and that Tippi Hedren presents a strong female character.

In 1962, iconic French director Francois Truffaut interviewed Hitchcock for about 12 hours over the course of a week. Truffaut idolized the older director. Here are the tapes of those interviews, which were published in a book in 1967. A discussion about The Birds is in section 24.

The original poster for The Birds.

The original storyboard drawing of the famous scene with the crows on the jungle gym.

Everything was pre-planned.

Hitchcock directs the action at a bird-covered Brenner home.

A still from the film shows Melanie attacked by birds in the attic.

One of Hitchcock's promotional pix for the film.

Here's Hitch's cameo appearance in the film.

Here's a shot of the bird trainer, Ray Berwick, getting ready to film an attack using real birds. He's the guy on the ladder. Another crew member is holding a terrified child actor who does not want to do the scene.