For well over a decade, the outdoor theater in Asia has presented a show featuring live birds, the latest being UP! A Great Bird Adventure. A number of species are represented, with plenty more flying overhead.

Like its predecessor, Up! focuses on the birds’ natural talents and characteristics, which far surpass any tricks learned from humans—don’t expect parrots riding bikes or cockatoos playing tiny pianos. A Brattleboro, Vermont, reader found the birds extremely compelling:

The birds are thrilling, and we especially appreciated the fact that their antics were not the results of training against the grain but actual survival techniques that the birds use in the wild.

Unfortunately, the show’s premise just isn’t very good. Doug and Russel from Pixar’s Up! were added in hopes of drawing kids in, but they’re completely irrelevant to what happens onstage, and they cut into time that could be used to show more birds. Another script rewrite is reportedly in the works.