What’s The Deal With The Birds In Netflix’s The Residence?

Most of the great murder mysteries are led by memorable detectives who solve cases with an unparalleled attention to detail. However, while that’s important in regard to finding the culprits, audiences love the sleuths who bring some personality to their cases. From Sherlock Holmes to Benoit Blanc of “Knives Out” famethe most entertaining detectives boast some original quirks that make them stand out. This brings us to Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba), the chief investigator in the Netflix crime caper “The Residence.” She’s another crime-solving genius with some fun eccentricities — and they relate to birds.

“The Residence” sees Cordelia getting brought into the White House to investigate the suspicious death of head usher A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito, playing a role that was initially meant to be filled by the late Andre Braugher) during a state dinner. Despite the urgency to solve the case, however, Cordelia takes her time, as she won’t even look at the body until she’s finished birdwatching. Mind you, there’s nothing inherently strange or peculiar about Cordelia’s hobby, but the fact she prioritizes it over checking out a crime scene speaks volumes about her personality.

But while Cordelia’s passion for winged creatures could be chalked up as a hobby, it also helps her solve crimes. With that in mind, let’s examine why birding has enhanced the detective’s skillset.

The second episode of “The Residence” features an interesting conversation between Cordelia Cupp and F.B.I. agent Edwin Park (Randall Park), in which she asks him if the bird in a photo is a yellow-throated longclaw. The agent isn’t interested in birds, but he believes that it is because the bird in question looks like one. However, it turns out to be an entirely different breed of flying animal, and the conversation illustrates why Cordelia is more equipped to handle this case than anyone.

While speaking to Deadline“The Residence” creator Paul William Davies explained that the art of birding — which requires its hobbyists to observe their surroundings so they can finally witness the birds — is similar to being a detective, which is a concept Cordelia understands more than most. In his own words:

“She has the line where she says ‘You don’t pick up your binoculars until you know what you’re looking at.’ It’s the opposite of what a lot of people think, which is like, ‘Oh, I’m looking for a bird. Let me train and go right there.’ But if you talk to a lot of birders, which I did for this, I’m not a birder myself, you’re taking in the landscape. You’re listening, you’re watching, before you focus on a particular part of the landscape, so that you can get your overall bearings in context.”

In short, birdwatching is similar to solving a murder case, as both require one to be aware of everything that’s going on around them before they can find what they’re looking for. Maybe more detectives should follow Cordelia’s example.

“The Residence” is now streaming on Netflix.