Birdy is the debut novel of William Wharton, who was more than 50 years old when it was published.

[1] Birdy was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 1980,[2] ultimately losing to The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer.

[3] Birdy was adapted as a film of the same name, directed by Alan Parker and starring Matthew Modine and Nicolas Cage.

The novel has said to have been a lyrical influence on the song "The King of Birds" by American alternative rock band R.E.M.

[4] Naomi Wallace, a poet and playwright, adapted Birdy for the stage in 1997.