Elon Musk weighs in on ‘birds aren’t real’ theory: Fact or fiction?

We are surrounded by a number of conspiracy theories at any given point in time. Adding to the list of theories like the alleged faked Moon landings, the belief in Elvis being alive, and the infamous Paul is dead, a viral conspiracy theory has emerged recently. It claims that birds aren't real animals, but are actually government drones used to spy on the public. And not surprisingly, it has sparked lively discussions among the US citizens.

Twitter owner Elon Musk has expressed his viewpoint on the issue. Taking to the micro-blogging site, Musk said, “This conspiracy theory that birds are actually government spy drones is … totally false."

The post further included a picture of a bird, along with the words, "Birds are your friend and harmless...There is no need to be alarmed or to watch your words when in range of a cute nice fluffy bird."

This conspiracy theory that birds are actually government spy drones is … totally false pic.twitter.com/zXs0cf0mS1

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 16, 2023

The ‘Birds Aren’t Real’ movement

According to the ‘Birds Aren’t Real’ movement, the CIA conducted an operation between 1959 and 1971, in which they killed every bird in the US and later replaced them with surveillance drones that could be recharged on power lines.

While there were a handful of people who genuinely embraced the theory, Peter McIndoe, the founder of the ‘Birds Aren’t Real’ movement, acknowledged during an interview with CBS News’ ‘60 Minutes’ that the movement started as a joke on the spread of misinformation.

McIndoe said, “It's taking this concept of misinformation and almost building a little safe space to come together within it and laugh at it, rather than be scared by it. And accept the lunacy of it all and be a bird truther for a moment in time when everything's so crazy."

According to McIndoe, this conspiracy theory came into existence in January 2017 during a women's march in Tennessee. The founder of the movement told The New York Times that he received the idea after he saw a group of President Donald Trump’s supporters start a counterprotest at the rally.

McIndoe wrote ‘Birds Aren't Real’ on a poster and began spreading the conspiracy. He said that it was a spontaneous joke aimed at reflecting the absurdity everyone was already feeling.

Following this, a clip of McIndoe's bird-drone rant made it to social media and even went viral. Not just that, 'Birds Aren't Real' graffiti and billboards were also seen across the cities.