The Birds (story) The Birds (story) "The Birds" is a horror story by British writer Daphne du Maurier, first published in her 1952 collection "The Apple Tree". It is the story of a farmhand, his family, and his community that are attacked by flocks of birds and seabirds in "kamikaze" fashion. The story is set in du Maurier's native Cornwall shortly after the end of the Second World War. By the end of the story it becomes clear that all of Britain is under aerial assault. The story was the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock's film "The Birds", released in 1963, the same year
The Birds (film) of "The Birds" was documented by the writer in his 1997 autobiography "Me and Hitch", which contains a variety of correspondence between the writer, director and Hitchcock's assistant, Peggy Robertson. Hunter began working on the screenplay in September 1961. He and Hitchcock developed the story, suggesting foundations such as the townspeople having a guilty secret to hide, and the birds an instrument of punishment. He suggested that the film begin using some elements borrowed from the screwball comedy genre then have it evolve into "stark terror". This appealed to Hitchcock, according to the writer, because it conformed to his love