Monday, January 31, 2011

Warbler Guy, which wood-warbler sang first in the movie The Social Network's sound track background? Why was it probably the wrong species?


Good question, Dr. Watson? -- err, I mean Erica (in Palo Alto, CA).

Indeed, long antennae make fine decisions when identifying birds by ear.

So how could a Wilson's Warbler (ABOVE photo) sing near Harvard's campus in the crew racing scene that appears
soon after The Social Network begins?

This vexing question is valid because Wilson's only passes through the Harvard University area (Massachusetts) as a spring and fall transient.

BUT the scene in the movie depicts a summer atmosphere, post migration, when Wilson's would already be farther north on breeding grounds.

Ho-hum. Another movie that cares little that birders compose a portion of the audience.

We are listening, Hollywood. You have it wrong. Our antennae are long.

Film on the floor. Cut up.

Take 2.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for answering my question.

Erica A.

Wild Marin said...

Another question: What's the biggest bird mistake you've ever seen in a movie or TV show? For me, it would be in Charlie's Angels, when an image of an oriole is shown and described as a pygmy nuthatch - which is a major plot device as the so-called song (yet another bird species) is used to locate the imprisoned Bosley.

Anonymous said...

Pacific Tree Frog is another (wrong) one that seems to be in most non-West Coast movie sets (!)

Anonymous said...

I hear Carolina Wren used wrong in movies all the time, among other wrong species.

Vince D.

Mosszvlq said...

I hear Carolina Wren used wrong in movies all the time, among other wrong species. Vince D.