WriterByNature.com

It’s Oscar season. Oscar-nominated film promotions are everywhere.

Coincidentally, I just finished reading Going Wild by nature writer Robert Winkler. His chapter entitled “The Bird Songs of Hollywood” had me laughing out loud.

Whether he’s in the field or at the movies, Winkler is a careful observer. Respected feature film directors, noted for their attention to detail, are apparently oblivious to the natural world. Here’s where Winkler found bloopers.

Lord of the Flies takes place in the South Pacific; Red tailed hawks do not live in the South Pacific, but that’s the bird call used throughout the film.

E.T. is set in California. Crows do not live in California, but that’s the bird call in the film’s opening.

The Godfather almost got it right; the call used was a European Crow, not an American Crow.

Eyes Wide Shut used Blue Jay calls in a night scene; Blue Jays are only active during the day.

Insomnia features a Heron on screen, but the sound track is a Whooping Crane call.

The Winter of My Discontent, as the title suggests, is set in winter; the Hermit Thrush doesn’t sing in winter, having migrated south months earlier.

Sleepy Hollow, set in the winter of 1799, made a historical blooper; Cardinals did not begin to winter over in New York until the late 20th Century. Before that they migrated south.

More nature bloopers are being found every day. And the situation is getting worse.

Blood Diamond mixes up bird calls and frog calls.

At first it’s funny. But now I feel like crying. I’m amazed that filmmakers don’t pay attention to the details in nature. I find that institutional disconnect sad - and scary. I’ve never really thought about it before, but maybe that’s why I usually don’t find movies satisfying or entertaining. They don’t ring true.

Feature films budget for continuity and fact checking. Maybe someone in Hollywood will wake up and hire Robert Winkler to add authenticity to future productions.