It's Tough to Be a Bird is a 1969 American animated educational short film directed by Ward Kimball and produced by Walt Disney Productions. The short won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject, Cartoons at the 42nd Academy Awards in 1970 and was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film in 1971. This was the last animated short film produced by Disney to win an Academy Award until Paperman (2012), the last animated short film distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution to win such an award until Pixar's Geri's Game (1997) and the final animated cartoon short released by Disney in the golden age of American animation.
Contents
Summary
In the short, a red bird (voiced by Richard Bakalyan) explains how birds have contributed to human culture, even as people often try to kill them. He claims this may be because humans were jealous that birds can fly but people cannot, mentioning the legend of Icarus and featured films of early unsuccessful flying machines.
In Disney's D-TV in the 1980s, clips from this short were set to Bobby Day's cover of "Rockin' Robin".
Cast
Ruth Buzzi as Soprano
Richard Bakalyan as M.C. Bird
John Emerson as Bird Fancier
Jim Swain as Bird Fancier
Ann Lord as Bird Fancier
Hank Schloss as Bird Fancier
Walter Perkins as Bird Fancier
Rolf Darbo as Bird Fancier
Ward Kimball as Bird Fancier (uncredited)