Birds Aren’t Real” is a satirical conspiracy theory that humorously claims birds are actually drones operated by the United States government to spy on American citizens. This idea, created by Peter McIndoe, started as a spontaneous joke in January 2017 during the Women’s March in Memphis, Tennessee. McIndoe saw pro-Trump counter-protesters and, on a whim, wrote “Birds Aren’t Real” on a poster, improvising a fake conspiracy theory among the crowd. A video of this incident went viral, sparking the satirical movement.
Journalist Rachel Roberts described “Birds Aren’t Real” in 2018 as “a joke that thousands of people are in on.” The movement has gained popularity on social media, with McIndoe initially posting on Facebook about creating the satirical movement. Though he later disclaimed this post, saying it was written by a fired staffer, he did not publicly admit until 2021 that he never truly believed in the conspiracy.
According to the movement, the federal government exterminated all birds in the United States between 1959 and 1971 and replaced them with drone lookalikes used for surveillance. The specifics of these theories vary, similar to actual conspiracy theories. Proponents humorously claim that birds sit on power lines to recharge, defecate on cars to track people, and that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated due to his reluctance to support the eradication of birds. Despite its absurdity, the “Birds Aren’t Real” movement continues to entertain and satirize the nature of conspiracy theories.
