8: The Most Famous Birds in History—Seven Legendary Birds

There are many unsung bird heroes throughout history. There was the dove that Randy Johnson struck with a fastball. Or the bird that pooped on your dad during a family vacation. #memoriesUnlike these nameless legends, other birds have withstood the test of time and are in our history books (ok, probably only our history books, but they're still well-known). Meet seven famous birds from throughout history. We'll give you their full backstories, introduce the supporting (mostly human) counterparts that helped them rise to fame, and provide fun anecdotes about their famous antics so you can marvel in their birdy brilliance. Got a favorite famous bird we missed? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram @birdshitpodcast and share it with us!BIRD SHIT WE DISCUSSEDUSEFUL RESOURCES (about the famous birds in this episode)The birds from “The Birds”Short clip showing why The Birds is so scary (you should go watch the whole thing if you haven’t seen it, unless you don’t want to be scared of birds)Jimmy Stewart = LOVEJimmy the RavenLots of info about Jimmy the RavenTurns our Stewart Little had a Roadster, but there was that creepy “The Mouse and the Motorcycle” movie from the 1980s. Alex the Gray ParrotA touching feature on Irene and Alex the Gray Parrot (by Neil deGrasse Tyson!)ALEX WAS SO SMART YOU GUYS.Help save parrots from being illegally traded.Pierre the PenguinPierre the Penguin in his wetsuitChicken capes, in case you need one…Dick the MockingbirdThomas Jefferson and his mockingbirdsOther presidential petsThe mockingbird song from “Dumb and Dumber”Rufus the HawkMeet Rufus the Hawk (and his handler, Imogen Davis)Great feature on Rufus the Hawk (this bird is super famous, guys.)Rufus the Hawk’s Twitter handle…sexy profile pic or nah?)Gertie the DuckPhotos and backstory on how Gertie became so famous: straight from the Milwaukee Journal (Sentinel) itself. Buy Support the show