Every Bird Needs A Hero

It's hard to imagine that a bird could possess the ability to admire other birds or perhaps even look at other birds with respect and admiration. Sure a rooster probably doesn't look at a hawk and think that it would be cool to be a hawk, no, roosters are too busy cocka-doodle-dooing and watching the sun rise. But there is one bird out there that all other birds look to as a source of inspiration, a glimpse of hope, a key to the birdcage.

Big Bird

Or better known as Caroll Spinney. Thats right, there is only one big bird, and Spinney has been it since 1969. Its difficult to pinpoint exactly what species of bird Big Bird belongs to within the biological class Aves. The book "G" is for Growing: Thirty Years of Research on Children and Sesame Street refers to Big Bird as a canary, while in other instances Bird Bird has referred to himself as a condor, lark, as well as an ibis. Further research conducted by Zoologist Mike Dickison suggested that Big Bird represents a unique species that evolved from the whooping crane.

Big Bird is a character on the children's television show Sesame Street that can roller skate, ice skate, dance, swim, sing, write poetry, draw, and even ride a unicycle, wow. Big Bird is probably sole reason for Sesame Street's success. But how successful could a children's show be? Take a few moments to review this list of awards Sesame Street have been nominated for compiled by Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accolades_received_by_Sesame_Street

Year	Category	Nominee	Result
1970	Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming (Program)	David D. Connell, executive producer; Sam Gibbon, Jon Stone, Lutrelle Horne, producers for Sesame Street	Won
	Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming (Individuals)	Joe Raposo, Jeffrey Moss, music and lyrics, for the song This Way to Sesame Street, Sesame Street	Won
	Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming (Individuals)	Jon Stone, Jeff Moss, Ray Sipherd, Jerry Juhl, Dan Wilcox, Dave Connell, Bruce Hart, Carole Hart, and Virginia Schone, writers, for "Sally Sees Sesame Street", the first episode of Sesame Street	Won
	Outstanding New Series	Connell, Gibbon, Stone, Horne for Sesame Street	Nominated
1971	Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming (Programs)	David Connell, executive producer; Jon Stone, Lutrelle Horne, producers for Sesame Street	Won
	Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming (individuals)	George W. Riesenberger, lighting director for Sesame Street	Nominated
1972	Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming (Programs)	David D. Connell, executive producer; Jon Stone, producer for Sesame Street	Won
	Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming (individuals)	George W. Riesenberger, lighting director for Sesame Street	Nominated
1973	Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming (Entertainment-Fictional)	Jon Stone, executive producer, Bob Cunniff, producer for Sesame Street	Won
	Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming (individuals)	Joe Raposo, music director for Sesame Street	Nominated
	Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming (individuals)	Robert G. Myhrum, director for Sesame Street	Nominated
1977 Primetime	Outstanding Achievement in Any Area of Creative Technical Crafts	Donald Sahlin, Kermit Love, Caroly Wilcox, John Lovelady, Rollie Krewson, costumes and props for the Muppets	Won
1979 Primetime	Outstanding Children's Program	Christmas Eve on Sesame Street: Jon Stone, executive producer; Dulcy Singer, producer	Won
	Outstanding Individual Achievement (children's program)	Christmas Eve on Sesame Street: Dave Clark and Tony Di Giroloma, lighting directors	Nominated
	Outstanding Individual Achievement (children's program)	Christmas Eve on Sesame Street: Gerri Brioso, graphic artist	Nominated
	Outstanding Children's Program	A Special Sesame Street Christmas: Bob Banner, executive producer	Nominated
1980 Primetime	Outstanding Children's Program	Sesame Street in Puerto Rico: Michael Cozell, producer; Al Hyslop, executive producer	Nominated
	Outstanding Individual Achievement (children's program)	Sesame Street in Puerto Rico: Nat Mongioi, art director	Nominated
	Outstanding Individual Achievement (children's program)	Sesame Street in Puerto Rico: Ozzie Alfonso, director	Nominated
1984 Primetime	Outstanding Children's Program	Don't Eat the Pictures	Nominated
1989 Primetime	Outstanding Special Event	Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting	Nominated
	Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics	Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting: Joe Raposo	Nominated
1990 Primetime	Outstanding Achievement in Choreography	Sing! Sesame Street Remembers Joe Raposo and His Music: Jacques d'Amboise	Nominated
1990 International	Founders Award	Children's Television Workshop co-founder Joan Ganz Cooney for her work, including Sesame Street	Won
1994 Primetime	Outstanding Children's Program	Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration: Arlene Sherman, executive producer	Nominated
	Outstanding Children's Program	Sesame Street's All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Streets Forever: Franklin Getchall, co-executive producer; Marjorie Kalins, co-executive producer; Joel Lipman, coordinating producer; Marc Sachnoff, producer; Andrew Solt, executive producer; Emily Squires, co-producer; Victoria Strong, producer; Greg Vines, Supervising Producer	Nominated
2004 Primetime	Outstanding Children's Program	The Street We Live On: Dr. Lewis Bernstein, executive producer; Tim Carter, producer; Kevin Clash, co-executive producer; Melissa Dino, producer; Karen Ialacci, producer; Carol-Lynn Parente, producer	Nominated
	Outstanding Music And Lyrics	The Street We Live On: Lou Berger, lyricist; Mike Renzi, composer	Nominated

It is no coincidence that this long running show that has won so many rewards just happens to have a big yellow bird as one of the main characters, no, it was a perfectly executed plan created by think tanks Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett. With such a strong central character, both birds and children alike could now look up to this 8 foot bird.