Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Birders’ on Netflix, a Nicely Grounded Documentary About Migrating Birds (and the People Who Love Them)

The word “migration” comes up frequently in Netflix’s Birders, a documentary short about the birdwatchers who gather at the U.S./Mexico border to see and study vast and varied species as they travel seasonally. Given the current political context, it’s hard not to extrapolate “migration” to “migrant” and “immigration” — or see a metaphor here, which is big and towering like, oh, I don’t know, a wall maybe?

BIRDERS: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Perhaps it goes without saying that birds couldn’t care less about politics, borders or any kind of construct of the “greater” human mammal. Hundreds of species follow millennia-old flyways through southeastern Texas and northern Mexico as they migrate from north to south and back again. Why? Near the Rio Grande, the habitat is perfect for migrating birds to sit out the winter, or rest and feed on their way further south. Some of the area has been disturbed by development, and is now being reforested, to reestablish safe migratory flyways.

There are a few hotspots where bird enthusiasts gather. Some appreciate the spectacle of seeing beautiful animals. Others like to count them, or track them by catching some in nets and tagging them. Meteorologists track massive flocks on radar, like hurricanes of birds. A wildlife photographer notes that an expanse of land used to be a military training zone; although the area is now a wildlife refuge, the ground is still littered with spent bullet shells. Guides imitate bird calls to draw them closer to visiting tourists. Notably, hundreds of millions of dollars are generated by the birdwatching industry on both sides of the river. But some U.S. folk say they fear entering Mexico like they used to, citing episodes of violence.

All of these people would no doubt call themselves conservationists. A guide drives into the area and says there’s usually a border patrol person there, but not today — “So we’re OK,” she says. One woman matter-of-factly points out how some parts of southern Texas are farther south than parts of Mexico — and it’s hard not to chuckle a little at how relative the idea of north and south can be, when birds only know to travel to the place that’s warm, or less crowded, or more rich with food. And then there are shots of sections of border wall separating the two countries, the erection of which wipes out 150 feet of natural habitat on either side. Turns out, there’s more drama in birdwatching than most of us probably thought.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Birders is like Winged Migration with a little bit of a Sin Nombre or El Norte subtextual pulse.

Performance Worth Watching: Braulio Malaga, a bird monitor and guide, is quietly charismatic as he explains how he followed the same paths as migrating raptors when he crossed the border into the U.S. — where he and his family live, and where he says he’s happy and successful.

Memorable Dialogue: “I think birds bring people together from both sides of the river,” says wildlife photographer Richard Moore, stating the film’s simple, but powerful thesis.

Sex and Skin: None.

Our Take: Birders doesn’t have the visual pizzazz of Winged Migration or the wacky bird mating dances of Planet Earth. Neither does it have talking-head expert interviews, pseudo-profound voiceover narration or booming thematic declarations. Director Otilia Portilla Padua prefers understatement and quiet observation. She’s a watcher of birdwatchers, you might say.

This isn’t the most exciting way to craft a documentary, but it’s a subtle and thoughtful film nonetheless. Birders stirs up concern about environmental stewardship in the face of human activity — and, of course, points out how humans, just like birds, migrate to seek abundance and safety. There’s a greater force at work here: survival. And it’s being inhibited by, well, unnatural means. The film doesn’t get into the specifics of greed, politics and “progress,” but it’s all there, quietly bubbling beneath its vignette-like stories, beneath images of people standing in joyous awe of the natural forces that are so much older and greater than human achievement.

Our Call: STREAM IT. You don’t need fancy closeups of birds soaring hundreds of feet in the air or abundant shots of jaw-dropping landscapes in order to appreciate a little worldly perspective.

Your Call:

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba.</em)