Birds: Brilliant & Bizarre

Dive into the world of our feathered friends at the Natural History Museum. This exhibition combines tech, taxidermy and bite-sized facts in a fascinating tour of avian life. 11,000 species-strong, birds are one of the planet’s greatest success stories, a narrative shown via striking displays, interactive games and specimens from the museum’s vaults.

Past, present and peculiar

Explore a history that spans from the dinosaurs to the modern day. The museum cleverly highlights the link between birds and their ancient ancestors, and the inclusion of fossils – along with references to the T-Rex and other dino favourites – will land well with younger visitors. Play spot the difference between an emu skeleton and a 123-million-year-old Hypsilophodon. Examine the fossils that helped transform our understanding of birds’ evolution. Then meet the wonderfully named ‘Wonderchicken’ – the oldest known modern bird.

Tech takes flight

Feel the tremulous beat of a hummingbird’s heart. Walk beneath the mighty wings of a giant Albatross. Then step inside a mesmerising starling murmuration. Making full use of the latest tech, the exhibition brings facts and figures to life. The digital murmuration fills the Waterhouse Gallery’s space, with sail-like projection screens soaring towards the ceiling. From pigeons to penguins, there’s exotic plumage to admire, habitats to marvel at, and behaviour that will raise an eyebrow. You won’t look at birds the same way again.  

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