ANIMATED SHORT FILM
THE UNSEEN
Your world is a tropical paradise of thick forest and unique creatures, like you. You want a mate to share it with and when you call her, there’s an answer! But where is she? Maybe she’s hiding? All you have to do is tune into her song and follow it to its source, then you’ll find her...
SPECIES SPOTLIGHT
A SONGSTER THAT SOARED...
… above the forests of Kaua’i, Timo was a honeyeater whose clear liquid notes could be heard from hundreds of yards away. Like other Kaua’i O’os on this Hawaiian island, Timo loved sugary nectar and performing duets with his mate. Sadly, the last of these small black and yellow songbirds was heard in 1987 …
A world of wonders
An isolated archipelago in the Pacific, Hawaii’s famed islands are just the exposed peaks of an undersea mountain range. And geologically speaking, at just 25 million years old, even the oldest is still young! Famed for unique wildlife, lush forests, soaring cliffs, lava deserts, coral reefs, and snow-topped mountains, the islands lure real and fictional adventurers, like the intrepid Indiana Jones – and their movie crews. Among the incredible species living here are rare birds whose future is uncertain.
Support local initiatives
We use your donations to fund in-country conservationists working to protect endangered bird species in Kaua‘i. The Kaua’i Forest Bird Recovery Project is Kaua‘i's leading conservation organisation dedicated to helping the island's native forest birds survive and thrive. A collaboration between the Hawai’i Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) and the Pacific Studies Cooperative Unit of the University of Hawai’i, the Project is supported by donations from individuals, and by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and DOFAW.
Not only in Hawaii
Waves of colonisation by humans had a profound impact on the Kaua'i O'o, as they have done on island birds all over the world. Everywhere, birds are becoming quieter, their populations thinning, as newcomers hunt them, introduce invasive species, chop down trees and clear forests for farmland, new roads and housing developments. For centuries birds have gone extinct, but the rate is sadly increasing. During the 20th century, 84 birds went extinct; two decades into the 21st, roughly 11 more species can no longer be heard.
During the 20th century, 84 bird species went extinct
Two-thirds of bird species are found in forests. 7+ million hectares of forest are destroyed each year
One in eight birds are threatened with extinction globally
How Timo came to life
Pencil hits paper and key moments of Timo’s journey form in a storyboard. Using Photoshop and the storyboard, artists design the concept art for his character and island, before they turn their attention to the overall image in the shot. Rough versions of each shot and models of Timo and his environments are created with 3D software based on the art. These are shaded and exported into Unreal Engine where they take on new digital life. After colour tweaks, animators study shots side by side. Together, these make the final film.
4 things to do to help birds like Timo thrive
Water for drinking and bathtime
Like us, birds need to drink - both when it’s hot in summer and in winter when their world is frozen. Their feathers need to be tip-top for flying, too. Bathing helps loosen dirt and does wonders for preening!
Don’t deadhead
You don't need a garden to grow flowers - a balcony or window box will do. Poppies, cornflowers and corn marigolds grow fast from seed and make fab food for birds and insects when the flowers have faded.
Become a feeder!
There are different mixes for feeders, tables and the ground. Avoid those with split peas, beans, rice and dog biscuit. Better mixes have flaked maize and peanut granules for smaller birds to munch on.
Leave nests alone…
The eaves of a house, where the roof projects beyond its walls, are a lovely sheltered spot for house martins, starlings and sparrows. Bought nest boxes encourage them, so does leaving any nests you find, alone.
Take a walk bathed in bird song...
Make your next stroll full of bird sightings
Want to have fun exploring the birdlife around you? With Birda, you can head outside, identify and log the birds you encounter, join cool challenges and share your experiences with an inclusive community.
Start birdwatching - it's free!
