The happy, chirpy birds of Iraq, brought to you by Fox News

[VolcanoJen]

During an uplifting Fox News story about how peaceful, calm and tranquil Iraq is (the reporter even described a particular village as "sleepy"), one can hear the cheerful chirping of spring birds during every outdoor shot.

Did Fox dub the sounds of chirpy happy birdies into the "serene" outdoor soundtrack? Watch the video and decide.

Happy Little Birds In Happy Little Iraq

It's really staggering, isn't it?

[XemaSab]

1. The birds in the background are House Sparrows (Passer domesticus)

They're basically a worldwide garbage bird. They're probably as common in the towns there as they are here.

I agree with the assessment that they intentionally picked a background track that sounded like a calm city street with vehicles and birds. It was playing both behind the soldier and the reporter, even though both of them were outside the town.

House Sparrows and cockroaches will survive Armageddon. :eyes:

And BTW, that was the crappiest piece of so-called journalism I've ever seen. :puke:

[VolcanoJen]

2. Is it a soundtrack, though?

House sparrows I can buy, but so many of them, and do they really match the scenes in the report?

The part I can't get over is when the reporter talks about how the village has returned to its "calm, sleepy" nature. I imagine someone in the administration twisted the Fox Arm for a "Life Is Good in Iraq" report?

[XemaSab]

3. They go in flocks

And yeah, I can see them hanging out in the town shown in the report. But I think they went and got a seperate sound track. It would be a little odd to lay random other tracks matching the scenes under the voice tracks of both the reporter and the soldier, no?

But I'm not an expert on TV news. :shrug:

Hey, as a bird nerd I'm just happy they didn't have, say, American Robins and House Finches in the background. 'Cause if they did you KNOW they would be busted. But alas, House Sparrows are worldwide. :(

[readmoreoften]

4. It's a loop. A complete sound effect.

The pattern is just repeated. Now it could be "wild sound" (captured on location) repeatedly edited in to score the news clip. Or, it could be a studio-audio file, like one that could be purchased at www.sounddogs.com

They certainly didn't hear the same birds at the same volume/pitch in five different locations.

[gulliver]

13. Anyone computer analyze this for patterns yet?

Are the chirping signals exactly the same frequency? Do the same chirps occur exactly the same distance apart in separate video clips in a clear pattern? If the "wild sound" was put in to "score the news clip," then Fox is truly caught red-handed and CNN should hear about it.

[Scurrilous]

5. Perhaps these birds heard on the clip ...

...were a type of happy fat chirping vulture.

[elvisbear]

6. Maybe these sparrows were in their last throes.

[dipsydoodle]

7. What a complete and utter load of old bilge.

Thought it was going to be girls in berkas doing Appalachian flat footing while a guy sitting on a Hummer played his banjo.

Rarely have I seen such propaganda. We don't get Fux in the UK which is probably just as well - wouldn't watch it anyway having seen the film Outfoxed which was aired here on TV last month.

I've got enough real sparrows in my back garden (yard to most of you) to know what they sound like especially when they're happy - constantly changing sound.

[Bluebear]

8. Later in the clip, children are feeding deer by hand...

...and a harp is heard playing as the clouds burst with a spring shower, which quenches all the land and flowers immediately peek through the soil and themselves start singing "Oh What a Beautiful Morning".

[dipsydoodle]

10. Is that the bit

before the troops shoot Bambi's mother ?

[VolcanoJen]

11. That's precious

Don't give Fox any ideas. }(

[ClintonTyree]

9. What else is there to do but sleep........

when you have no electricity, running water, jobs to go to and people are trying to blow you up at every chance? A "sleepy" little village....... :eyes: I challenge the Fox reporter of this bit of tripe to spend a fortnight there. Then we'll see how "serene" and happy he is. :puke:

[0rganism]

12. I wonder how many are carrion birds, feasting on the dead?

Seems like the vulture population could be having something of a revival right about now...