We are pleased to share that for the months of Feb. & March 2023 The Messenger documentary will be streaming on the HotDocs.ca “Hot Docs at Home” platform. You can watch the trailer here. Or go to HotDocs at home here and scroll down to the series “Around the World with Ontario Filmmakers” / The Messenger
Enjoy!
The Jackman Humanities Institute Program for the Arts presents:
Heeding The Messenger (Songbirds and the Scale of Climate Change)
Friday Nov 6, 2020
in cooperation with the IHPST, Victoria University, and Cinema Studies Institute,
University of Toronto
Heeding the Messenger is a one-day interdisciplinary event inspired by, and culminating in, a screening and round table discussion of Toronto film-maker Su Rynard’s 2015 documentary film The Messenger. Echoing the mythical role of birds as divine messengers, the film sets out to discover what we should learn from the recent and rapid decline of migrating songbirds around the globe. In concert with scientists, naturalists, activists, museum curators and concerned citizens, Rynard follows the migration routes of songbirds to critical points of observation–from downtown Toronto to deforested Costa Rica, drought-ridden Turkey, and Manhattan’s 9/11 memorial–seeking insight into the ecological and environmental causes and consequences of songbirds’ decline.
Heeding the Messenger brings together STS and sound studies scholars, participants in Rynard’s film, and the director herself to explore the themes and issues raised in the film and by the plight of songbirds in general. Engaging local and global perspectives, speakers and participants will speak to multiple aspects of contemporary climate change, offering a multivocal and multifaceted account of affective and ecological dimensions of the Anthropocene.
Birds in Flight
10:15 Welcome
Iris Montero (Brown University) Into the Archive of Trans-species Migration in Greater Mexico
Kristoffer Whitney (Rochester Institute of Technology) Migratory Birds, Shifting Habitats, and the “Lost” Science of Phenology
Rachel Mundy (Rutgers University) Song at the End of Modernity
12:00 Lunch Break
The Messenger
13:00 Screening of The Messenger, a documentary by Su Rynard
15:15 Roundtable Discussion
Su Rynard (Film Director) / Bill Evans (Old Bird, Inc.) / Michael Mesure (FLAP) / Chris Guglielmo (Western University) / Alejandra Martínez-Salinas (CATIE) / Çağan H. Şekercioğlu (University of Utah) Bridget J. Stutchbury (York University)
17:30 Conclusion
All events are free and everyone is welcome. Please register here: https://messenger.eventbrite.ca to receive the link to the online event and documentary screening
Event organized by Lucia Dacome, Angelica Fenner and Rebecca J.H. Woods in collaboration with Oana Baboi and Sarah Qidway.
Lucia Dacome is an Associate Professor and Pauline M.H. Mazumdar Chair in the History of Medicine in the IHPST. Angelica Fenner is an Associate Professor in the Cinema Studies Institute at Innis College and in the German Department of St. Michael’s College. Rebecca J.H. Woods is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History and in the IHPST.
by Mark Bell
So, let me guess…
So, let me guess… you had been planning a once-in-a-life-time nature safari this summer to explore the hidden secrets of the Amazon rain forest of northern Peru, right? And then an unexpected global pandemic put those plans on hold and now you’re stuck at home staring out your kitchen window and you’re feeling isolated, not just from your fellow humans, but from the natural world. Am I close? Well, I’ve got great news for you, Nature is about to save you the trip to Peru and instead will be parading past your window in the coming weeks and throughout the summer months. Lucky you!
Hundreds of species of birds migrate from South and Central America on their way up to Canada’s Boreal forest, but I’d like to bring your attention to one species in particular that is summering alongside those of us who live in cities and small towns in the central and eastern states from Texas up to Minnesota and into southern Ontario and Quebec and out to the Maritime Provinces and states along the eastern seaboard. Unlike migratory birds that you will only see in passing during the migration season, the Chimney Swift will be staying close to home, close to your home.
Much like humans, Chimney Swifts have adapted their way of life to live mostly in cities and towns rather than forests. Who wants to live in a rotten old tree when there’s a perfectly good apartment building waiting for you? But unlike humans, the overall population of Swifts has dropped dramatically over the years. So much so that they are now considered a species at risk in many regions.
All birds are pretty spectacular when you get to know them, but the Chimney Swift has superpowers beyond the scope of most species.
All birds are pretty spectacular when you get to know them, but the Chimney Swift has superpowers beyond the scope of most species. First of all, they don’t spend any time on the ground. Unless it’s nesting season, these birds take flight in the morning after sunrise and they won’t land again until sunset. They are areal insectivores, so they take their breakfast, lunch and dinner on the fly, literally. There’s no hopping around looking for worms, or grabbing a bite at the feeder, no splashing about in birdbaths and certainly none of this bird-on-a-wire stuff. Swifts are up in the sky gathering food all day long. But don’t think that Chimney Swifts are all work and no play. More than most birds, the Swifts are community oriented, so you will often see them flying in small groups, sometimes in formation like tiny, feathered fighter jets. The constant chittering sound that they emit is probably some kind of air traffic control (“On your left! On your left!), but to our ears sounds more like the gleeful chatter of passing school kids on a Friday afternoon. (Remember when children used to go to school?) They really sound like they’re having a good time.
If you want to see a Chimney Swift, there’s a good chance that if you live in a city, all you need to do is tilt your head and look up in the sky and wait.
If you want to see a Chimney Swift, there’s a good chance that if you live in a city, all you need to do is tilt your head and look up in the sky and wait. If you see some Starling-sized birds making erratic bat-like movements, those are probably Chimney Swifts. You’ll know because you’ll be able to hear them chattering to one another. But if you want to see a Chimney Swift perform a magic trick that no other species can do, a miracle so beautiful and profound that you’ll half expect David Attenborough to show up and pontificate, well, for that you’ll need a bit of patience. And a chimney.
Not just any chimney will do, you’ll want to find one with good swift-potential.
Not just any chimney will do, you’ll want to find one with good swift-potential. The best place to start is an old church, a school or an older industrial building. Swifts need a certain amount of clearance inside the flue, so although they sometimes resort to small residential chimneys, they prefer the wider, more industrial kind. And if a chimney has a metal liner poking up, forget about it, Swifts prefer exposed-brick interiors. Also, if there are too many trees or other obstructions close to the chimney, that’s another deal-breaker; they’ll only settle for uninterrupted access.
Timing is everything. Within 15 minutes on either side of sunset is when the Swifts are most likely to enter the chimney they are occupying.
Timing is everything. Within 15 minutes on either side of sunset is when the Swifts are most likely to enter the chimney they are occupying. So don’t bother with the other 23 and a half hours of the day, but for that one half hour, keep your eye on the chimney. Stand where you can see it clearly silhouetted against the sky. Sometimes there will be a few fly-overs in the minutes leading up to their dramatic entrance, but more often than not they’ll appear out of nowhere. It often happens so fast you might be left thinking: “did I actually see what I think I just saw?” If you’re lucky, you might see one or two Swifts entering a chimney. But if you are REALLY lucky, you might encounter a roost, where dozens or even hundreds of Swifts will enter a single chimney. Bearing witness to such a beautiful phenomenon just might change your life.
Sadly, due to Covid-19, it is not possible right now to register your sightings on some of the conservation websites that are working to track these endangered birds such as the SwiftWatch program organized by Birds Canada. (although it is still a great resource for information on Swifts). https://www.birdscanada.org/bird-science/swiftwatch/
But eventually things will open up again, and you’ll be able to contribute your citizen science data there or locally where ever you live. In the meantime, there are other useful apps such as iNaturalist or eBird where you can register your findings. Or, you can simply look up and enjoy the show.
Mark Bell
“In Birds Art Life, writer Kyo Maclear embarks on a yearlong, big city adventure chasing after birds, and along the way offers a luminous meditation on the nature of creativity and the quest for a good and meaningful life.”
I recently finished Kyo’s Mclear’s memoir Birds Art Life and I was sad to put it down. It felt as if I was just getting to know someone – someone who shared my passions and the questions I have about the world around me. It was a conversation that I didn’t want to end!
“Birds Arts Life” is an astute memoir of connection and discovery, a distilled crystal-like celebration of the small and significant, the imperfect and the struggling, and the liberating effects of keeping your eyes and ears wide open.”
Through four seasons, and guided by a new companion, Kyo discovers the world of birds. These are the birds that pass through our cities and our yards. The birds that float on our lakes and rivers, both the remarkable and the unremarkable. Her words are a refreshing break from the sensational and newsworthy events that seem to shout at us every day. She reflects on small things that create meaning in our lives – a choice is both bold and honest.
“Helen Humphreys ‘The Evening Chorus’ is brilliant evocation of an unforgettable time and place and a natural history of both the war and the human heart.”
The Evening Chorus is a work of fiction that interweaves three compelling stories: James Hunter, who spends the second world war in a POW camp. His young wife Rose who, in James absence falls in love with another man, and James sister Enid who forms a friendship with Rose that alters the course of all of their lives. Notably, for those interested in birds the character James Hunter is inspired by the real life birdwatcher John Buxton. Buxton, while held captive as a prisoner of war in WWII, studied a family of redstarts and wrote a book about his observations. Today this book is still regarded by many as one of the most comprehensive single-species studies ever undertaken.
The writing throughout The Evening Chorus is beautiful. Rooted in the rhythms and imagery of nature and featuring chapter headings named after various flora and fauna, this novel is moving, meaningful and a pleasure to read.
To film The Messenger we travelled across three different continents, as the film takes viewers on a journey from the northern reaches of the Boreal Forest to the base of Turkey’s Mount Ararat to the urban streets of New York – and more. In Toronto, we filmed with FLAP (Fatal Light Awareness Program). Here, at dawn, during migration season, volunteers patrol the city street looking for dead or injured birds. They document the dead and rehabilitate the wild. Some days are worse than others, as fatalities can range from zero a hundred birds or more.
Our shoot day was a lucky day for the birds, due to the weather conditions and migration patterns – collisions were low. So without much to film, our team headed by Joshua See (cinematography) and the multi-talented Caitlin McManus (sound) packed up their gear and headed home.
However, a short time later, Cait stumbled across a small flock of Golden-crowned kinglets that had collided with a building. Given that the day’s filming had been a bit of a bust – Cait called Josh back to the “crime scene” to film the collision fatalities. To find a group of dead Golden-crowned kinglets is a sad story indeed. These birds have declined by about 2.5% per year since 1966 – this translates into a 67% decline since 1966! Sobering statistics indeed.
There was a kinglet that survived, and it was sitting on the sidewalk stunned. Josh managed to get his camera out and ready in time to film this kinglets transformation from stunned to “back in the game” as it flew away. This has to be one of my favourite moments in the film. Watch it here:
We were really happy to see this little guy muster his strength and get back on this way. Golden-crowned Kinglets live in Canada’s dense stands of spruce and fir forests during summer, and when it gets cold they move south to spend winters across the U.S. Let’s hope the rest of his journey was safe.
Filming wild birds in the city has its challenges, but what about in the wilderness? This is a question I put to cinematographer Joshua See.
“From the camera technical side of things you typically need large telephoto lenses and big stable tripods that support the camera’s weight and keep shots steady. You’ll also need strong legs to haul the gear to where the wildlife is!
An important ecosystem that we wanted to capture in The Messenger was Canada’s vast and notoriously thick Boreal forest. Wildlife biologist colleagues of mine often refer to it as the “Boreal Jungle”. With a massive camera slung over your shoulder, and a pack full of lenses and batteries, it definitely seems a fitting term!
There are two main strategies that can be employed here: sit and wait, or listen and move.
While filming on location in Costa Rica more often than not I was able to identify busy bird locations where he could set up inconspicuously and wait. Flowering trees, ripe banana plants, or a shady trickling stream were bird hotspots.
Joshua See cinematographer, with bird guide Ernesto Carman fine tune the “blind” that kept the camera hidden from the birds.
Our incredible bird guide, Ernesto Carman from Café Christina coffee farm, took director Su Rynard and me to a large and beautiful tree next to an old café in a Costa Rican river valley. There, every night hundreds of Baltimore orioles and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks seek refuge under its canopy. We watched and filmed in amazement as streams of beautiful birds converged on the old tree.
Joshua See, cinematographer, with bird guide Ernesto Carman. Filming at Café Christina coffee farm in Costa Rica
Back in the Boreal jungle, the best strategy was to listen for the songs of the songbird species we especially wanted shots of, and then to try and locate that male based on his loud song being broadcast through the forest. Having knowledge of birdcall identification proved invaluable.
It’s also important to consider the time of day: birds are most active at dawn and dusk while the air is cool. Typically mid-day is when bird activity is lowest, and the sunlight least pleasing for getting the most beautiful frames.
Ultimately, the birds are the real stars and should take most of the credit for the beautiful imagery we see on screen. We are grateful for their participation in the production.
