For the Birds is the Pixar short film shown before Monsters, Inc. in its theatrical release.
The short follows a group of small birds perched on a telephone wire. Their mockery of a much larger bird leads to a comic chain reaction that sends the flock flying. Its visual storytelling uses no spoken dialogue, making the joke accessible to audiences around the world.
For the Birds was written and directed by Ralph Eggleston and released in 2000, before Monsters, Inc. reached cinemas in 2001. It became one of Pixar’s best-known pre-feature shorts and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 74th Academy Awards.
Pixar traditionally paired theatrical features with original short films, but the shorts are not part of the feature’s story. Other Pixar shorts, such as Knick Knack and Boundin’, accompanied different releases, while Mike’s New Car is connected directly to the Monsters, Inc. characters.