FAQ for
The Birds (1963)

There is no explanation as to why the birds attack, or why at other times they appear docile and muted. The birds' fury is more of a metaphor for the fine edge on which man lives on this planet. Take the bird, a small creature that would normally be terrified of a human. In greater numbers, however, they can assume a mob mentality that overcomes this fear, and they become a different creature entirely.

The attacks begin with single incidents, and over time, their fury and numbers gradually increase, building the tension for the audience. It's not the point to know "why" they are attacking, that's not the problem the characters has to solve. We, as humans, live by certain rules - some social, some scientific. We believe things will always be as they are and will not change because everything is bound by "rules" (Birds being peaceful creatures). Without explanation, things change, and we don't know why, because we never expected it. Their problem (and ours) is to see how we react to a world turned upside down, where the old rules no longer apply. Humans believe they have worked most things out, but in fact, it is highly possible we know nothing at all. When the Birds attack, our theories are thrown out of the window -- this is symbolic in saying that, truly, we will never know anything for certain no matter how much time, effort and research we invest.

Perhaps the best meaning behind the film would come from saying, "Nothing is certain."

Birds are fast and their beaks are sharp. They tear the flesh of dead animals, remember? They have sharp beaks and talons. Larger birds in particular are able to bite hard enough to sever fingers and toes, not to mention the damage they can inflict with their claws.

Against live animals, birds instinctively go for the eyes; here, two casualties are depicted as eyeless corpses. There is also the proverbial death by a thousand cuts.

Long ago, in certain parts of the Mediterranean, birds were used for executions. The condemned person would be tied down on a small raft and a fish secured to the forhead. This would attract the attention of a diving bird flying overhead, the bird would dive down and spear the fish and the beak would pierce the cranium, causing death.