The Little Brown Bird

Once down to 80 in the wild, the Florida grasshopper sparrow is at risk of extinction. Biologist Fabiola “Fabby” Baeza-Tarin and an unexpected team work together to protect the sparrows, their shrinking habitat, and the headwaters of the Everglades.

Cornell Lab2025

About the Film

This film, which was co-produced with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and distributed by National Geographic's YouTube channel, aims to bring greater attention to the plight of this unique species — which has lost 90% of its native dry prairie habitat due to development — and spur the further action needed to save the bird from extinction.

Release Date: 2025
Directed By: KT Bryden
In Partnership With: Cornell Lab
Related Landscapes: Sentinel Landscapes
Location: Florida, USA

Awards

2025 Winner Wildlife Conservation Award at the International Wildlife Film Festival
2025 Winner Audience Award for Best Florida Short at the Florida Film Festival
2025 2nd Runner Up for Best Documentary at the Myrtle Beach International Film Festival
2025 Honorable Mention at the Santiago Wild Film Festival
2025 Official Selection of the DC Environmental Film Festival
2025 Official Selection of the Wild Coast Film Festival
2025 Official Selection of the Cinema Verde Film Festival
2025 Official Selection of the Reel Wild Film Festival
2025 Merit Award Winner at the Awareness Festival
2025 Winner Best Florida Film Award at the Naples International Film Festival
2025 Semi-Finalist: Birds and Semi-Finalist: Endangered Species at the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival
2025 Semi-Finalist at the Dumbo Film Festival
2025 Official Selection of the Florida Environmental Film Festival

Project Goal

The film showcases how the Florida grasshopper sparrow has become a catalyst for the protection of the Everglades headwaters, as well as the wider Florida Wildlife Corridor.

Project Outcome

The Little Brown Bird has been screened at a range of film festivals and conferences, from the Florida Film Festival to the America’s Grasslands Conference. It has also generated a variety of media stories that have helped amplify its message to new audiences (see below). The film is also featured on the website of the Sentinel Landscapes partnership.

10+: festival awards and recognitions
200K+: views on YouTube
Screened directly for Sentinel Landscapes managers: Outcome detail