What does the phrase “a bird’s eye view” means?

This phrase describes a view that is seen as a bird might see it, from an elevated perspective. For example, when flying in an airplane you get a bird’s-eye view of the towns and cities below you. Climbing up a tall tower affords you the same perspective.

The phrase can also be used in a more figurative sense; when someone steps back and looks at the entire situation from a more distant perspective, it can be said that they are seeing it from a bird’s-eye view.

This expression comes from the literal imagery of seeing things the way birds do: from up high.

The terms aerial view and aerial viewpoint are also sometimes used synonymous with bird’s-eye view. The term aerial view can refer to any view from a great height, even at a wide angle, as for example when looking sideways from an airplane window or from a mountain top. Overhead view is fairly synonymous with bird’s-eye view but tends to imply a less lofty vantage point than the latter term. For example, in computer and video games, an “overhead view” of a character or situation often places the vantage point only a few feet (a meter or two) above human height. 

 

Picture Credit : Google