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description: A harrowing moment in Big Bird&#x27;s past shows the intimate connection between man and bird.
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# Exclusive Clip from Caroll Spinney Documentary "I Am Big Bird"

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fMzoPGAO.m3u8" -->
## Video: Exclusive Clip from Caroll Spinney Documentary "I Am Big Bird"

[Watch (HLS stream): Exclusive Clip from Caroll Spinney Documentary "I Am Big Bird"](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fMzoPGAO.m3u8) (1:24)

![Exclusive Clip from Caroll Spinney Documentary "I Am Big Bird"](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/fMzoPGAO/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2015-05-05. A harrowing moment in Big Bird's past shows the intimate connection between man and bird._


---

Jul 27, 2023 6:13 PM UTC

---

## More From This Series

[All Videos](https://time.com/video/)

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### Edible Bird's Nest Industry is Big Business

[Exclusive Clip From The Documentary 'Wild Home'](/video/oUvYlNkV/)

### Exclusive Clip From The Documentary 'Wild Home'

[The Edible Bird's Nest Trade](/video/q4hL2jN7/)

### The Edible Bird's Nest Trade

---


## Transcript

One time when we were on the road, this was years and years ago and we were doing a live show. We left Big Bird alone in a store room. The ROTC students were suppose to watch him when we went off to lunch. Big mistake. [ MUSIC ] I was sitting on the lawn eating a sandwich And all of the sudden I see all these ROTC students and they've all got a yellow feather in their hat. [ MUSIC ] We came back his whole quarter was bare. They decided it'd be nice to have some bird feather souvenirs and they plucked a whole chunk Out of him. It, it was like, it was like a desecration. Somebody tried to take one of his eyes that was broken, hanging off.

And he was lying in the dirt, and I saw that I burst into tears. It was like seeing my child raped, and thrown on the ground and destroyed. [ MUSIC ] He was, he was crying. Like someone had done that to him. That's when I knew that Big Bird and Carol were one. They were one and the same. [ MUSIC ]

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