The Birds is a 1963 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, in which ordinary birds suddenly begin attacking in a seaside California village. The movie served as the first major film role for Tippi Hedren.

References

• The Muppet Show episode 113 features a segment in which Bruce Forsyth is overwhelmed by birds and shouts, "Mr. Hitchcock!"

• Big Bird punctuates a sketch spoofing the movie in the October 28, 1977 Donny & Marie broadcast. In this version, Big Bird explains his avian friends were gathered just to join him on their way to Sesame Street.

• The extended home video version of The Muppets' Wizard of Oz features a scene where the Scarecrow asks an attacking crow if he's seen The Passion. The feathered fiend replies that he prefers The Birds.

• In Sesame Street Episode 3870, an animal comments that Big Bird's alphabet film is "the best bird film since Hitchcock."

• When Bert is appointed the director of Elmopalooza, he is inspired by his favorite director, Alfred Sweatsock, who directed The Pigeons.

• The script for Sesame Street Episode 4003, when birds answer the call of Big Bird on National Bird Day, calls for their flying arrival to be "the comic equivalent of Hitchcock's The Birds."

• Sesame Street Episode 4522 features a movie poster for The Birds, directly spoofing the actual film poster. The director is Albert Flinchnot (portrayed by Mr. Johnson) and Prairie Dawn appears as the Tippi Hedren spoof 'Trippi' Headwind.