It’s almost officially duck season in the United States, as theIllumination-producedMigrationwill be hitting theaters countrywide on Aug 17, 2025. Featuring a stacked voice-acting cast that includes Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Awkwafina, and Keegan-Michael Key, the movie is about a family of mallards who try to convince their anxious and protective father to migrate from New England to Jamaica.
Migrationis sure to entertain audiences, but animated movies about birds are clearly nothing new. From Pixar to 20th Century Fox, studios have come back to that well (or nest, rather) time and time again, as birds of pretty much any species are prime characters for tales of comedy and adventure. To get you prepared forMigration, here are eight amazing animated movies about birds that you need to watch before the duck tale drops.
8Chicken Run (2000)
Chicken Runmarked the first feature film collaboration between animation gurus Peter Lord and Nick Park. The movie follows a group of British chickens living on a farm run by an evil husband and wife who plan to turn them into chicken pies. Led by Ginger (Julia Sawalha), the chickens are given hope due to the sudden arrival of an American circus rooster named Rocky (Mel Gibson), and they plan their big bolt for freedom. ThinkThe Great Escape… but with anthropomorphic poultry.Chicken Runspawned a direct-to-Netflix sequel,Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, which was released on Jun 12, 2025.
Chicken Run Was a Monster at the Box Office
Lord and Park had already seen great success in the stop-motion animation world with theirWallace and Gromitshort films, butChicken Runmade them household names. Grossing over $220 million at the box office, the movie became the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film in history. Dealing with complex themes such as feminism and Marxism, it turnedAardman Animationsinto a stop-motion behemoth. The Bristol-based studio has produced nearly 10 additional feature films since, includingArthur Christmas,Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit, andShaun the Sheep Movie.
Stream on Netflix
7For the Birds (2000)
For the Birdswas written and directed by Ralph Eggleston, who got his start as a Disney animator (The Lion King,Aladdin)and later transitioned to Pixar before his death from pancreatic cancer in 2022. The three-minute movie about birds on a power line was shown alongside the Pixar feature filmMonsters, Inc., and was re-rendered into 3D for the film’s re-release in 2012.
For the Birds Won Best Animated Short at the Oscars
For the Birdscombines hilarious animated antics and a strong message about coexistence to create a truly effective film, reminding us thatPixar animated shortshave maintained an important cultural impact for more than 30 years. Winning Best Animated Short at the 74th Academy Awards,For the Birdsis an essential part of the Pixar movie universe, with those tiny little birds also making appearances inCarsandInside Out.
Stream on Disney+
Related:What Happened to Pixar Shorts?
6Happy Feet (2006)
Happy Feet
It’s hard to believe that George Miller, the same man responsible for the dystopian, action-packedMad Maxfranchise, was the creative mind behindHappy Feet. Featuring a star-studded voice-acting cast that includes Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, and Robin Williams, the movie tells the story of a tap-dancing emperor penguin from Antarctica who must navigate a world where singing recognizable pop ballads is the ultimate penguin love language.
Happy Feet Was a Massive Change for George Miller
A catchy soundtrack, stunning visuals, an engaging script, and a fantastic all-around performance from Robin William (who voices three characters as well as the narrator) makeHappy Feetone of the best non-Pixar animated films of the mid-2000s. Critically and commercially acclaimed, it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and racked up over $384 million at the box office, making it the tenth-highest-grossing movie of 2006.
Stream on Max
5Surf’s Up (2007)
Penguins were clearly all the rage in the mid-2000s, withMarch of the Penguins,Happy Feet,andMadagascarall coming out in about a year’s span.Surf’s Upbrought a slightly different angle to the penguin craze, as it uses the mockumentary format to tell the story of Cody Maverick (Shia LaBeouf), a rockhopper penguin from Shiverpool, Antarctica, who dreams of becoming a professional surfer. A parody of surfing documentaries that features voice cameos from actual pro surfers like Kelly Slater and Rob Machado, the film also makes great use of celebrity talent, including Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel, and Jon Heder.
Surf’s Up Wasn’t a Rip-Off of Happy Feet
Nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 80th Academy Awards,Surf’s Updefinitely stands out as not only one of the best penguin movies, but also arguablythe best movie about surfing. The mockumentary style particularly elevates the film, while the unique script (case in point, Cody is friends with a shaka-throwing rooster from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, named Chicken Joe) and the impressive use of CGI for the surfing scenes also contribute to the movie being an especially fun watch.
Rent on Apple TV
4Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010)
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole
Following the releases of his gory and stylized filmsDawn of the Dead,300, andWatchmen, director Zack Snyder opted for somewhat lighter fare withLegend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.Based on theGuardians of Ga’Hoolebook series by Kathryn Lasky, the movie follows a barn owlet named Soren (Jim Sturgess), who must team up with a legendary group of owl warriors called the Guardians of Ga’Hoole to defeat the evil Pure Ones. Produced by Village Roadshow Pictures and the Australia-based Animal Logic (who teamed up forHappy Feetin 2006), the movie features a talented voice cast of English and Australian actors, including Joel Edgerton, Helen Mirren, Geoffrey Rush, and Hugo Weaving.
An Animated Zack Snyder Film
WhileLegends of the Guardiansreceived mixed reviews due to its weak screenplay, the movie still earns a spot on this list for its dark tone, incredible action scenes, and breathtaking visuals. The film’s visuals particularly deserve praise, as Animal Logic’s 500-person team of artists and technicians put tireless effort and detail into creating gorgeous backdrops and impressively-detailed animals, both owl and non-owl alike.
3Rio (2011)
Riowas originally intended to be about a penguin who washed up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but following the releases ofHappy FeetandSurf’s Up,director Carlos Saldanha opted to make macaws the stars of the show. The film is about a domesticated macaw named Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) from Moose Lake, Minnesota, who travels to Rio and falls in love with Jewel (Anne Hathaway). To make the most authentic movie possible, the crew actually visited Rio during production, while also consulting with actual macaw experts at the Bronx Zoo.
A Beautiful, Underseen Animated Film
Rioimpressively captures the titular city in all its glory, impressively showcasing its lush landscapes, exotic wildlife, and immersive music (the song “Real in Rio” earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song). Grossing $484 million worldwide,Riowas the 13th highest-grossing film of 2011, with the voice-acting contributions of will.i.am, Jamie Foxx, George Lopez, Tracy Morgan, and Jemaine Clement making the movie a huge hit with audiences.
Related:Blue Sky Studios: The Full Movie List
2Penguins of Madagascar (2014)
penguins of madagascar
Co-directors Eric Darnell and Simon J. Smithtook the most entertaining characters from theMadagascarfilm series and gave them their own feature film withPenguins of Madagascar. Skipper (Tom McGrath), Kowalski (Chris Miller), Private (Christopher Knights), and Rico (Conrad Vernon) are four Adélie penguins who team up with an intelligence agency to take down a maniacal Giant Pacific octopus (John Malkovich) bent on penguin annihilation.
Action-Packed with a Great Cast
If you were a fan of the penguin-based silliness from the first threeMadagascarmovies, thenPenguins of Madagascarshould be right up your alley. It’s full of action and fast-paced comedy that’s fun for the whole family, and the inclusion of Hollywood heavyweights John Malkovich and Benedict Cumberbatch to the voice-acting cast makes it a worthy standalone film.
1Piper (2016)
Theatrically released alongside Pixar’sFinding Dory,Piperis a six-minute short that deals with a baby sandpiper that must overcome its fear of water to dig for food. It took writer and director Alan Barillaro three years to make the film, as he and his animation team’s painstaking commitment to detail involved studying the appearance and behavior of sandpipers in California.
Another Oscar Winner for Short Films
It’s hard to find an animated short film as stunning and realistic asPiper. Unsurprisingly, the movie won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 89th Academy Awards, making it the first Pixar animated short to win the award sinceFor the Birds15 years prior. At its core, it’s a simple story of survival, but it’s this beautiful simplicity that makesPiperone ofthe best Oscar-winning animated short filmsof all time.
