About the exhibition
Inspired by The Book of Birds by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane, Wonder of Birds celebrates the splendour of the birds around us at the same time as recognising the steep decline in bird populations across our skies in recent decades.
Following the 'Seven Wonders' of birds – nest, egg, beak, song, feather, flight, migration – this exhibition pairs the words and art from The Book of Birds with Oxford ornithological research and Bodleian collections to explore the beauty and mystery of these extraordinary creatures.
Highlights include John Gould’s Birds of Great Britain, John James Audubon’s Birds of America, and never-before-displayed glass-plate negatives from naturalist Emma Louisa Turner.
The exhibition will also include a sound environment created by sound artist and nature beatboxer Jason Singh, as well as a collaboration with artists Daniel and Clara.
Celebrate the wondrous creativity birds have always inspired in us from small acts of observation to soaring images of flight.
Image: White-Tailed Eagle, 2020 © Jackie Morris
