Many of the birds utilized in the film were real; however, it's approximated that more than $200,000 was used to create mechanical birds.
The Birds' screenplay was based on Daphne du Maurier's novella of the same name, published in 1952. Many of the birds utilized in the film were real; however, it's approximated that more than $200,000 was used to create mechanical birds. The American Film Institute ranked The Birds as the seventh-best thriller in American cinema.