I recently visited the Natural History Museum with some friends to check out the new Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre exhibition which has been billed as a captivating exploration of the avian world, showcasing the incredible diversity, beauty, and oddities of birds from around the globe. I need to make a list at some point of all of the temporary exhibitions I have been to over the years that I have been held at the museum. This exhibit will be one I will remember for both the right and wrong reasons, but we’ll go into that throughout this review. Given the amount of advertising I have seen online for this exhibition it seems to pitch itself as a fine balance between education and entertainment, that is thought provoking and perfect for curious minds. It seems in this process, the scientifically minded were forgotten about as I will explain shortly.

From the moment you step into the exhibit, you can see that the design of the exhibit is very minimalist with painted particleboard making up some of the scenery and dividers between the different parts of the exhibition. There are a number of signs with quite useful and interesting information interwoven into flat fabric fibres that extend down from the roof. I couldn’t find it mentioned anywhere but it seems to me that this exhibition was made to be as sustainable as possible, which is a shame as there are some rough edges which ruin the image of this carefully curated exhibition. It just feels like things were rushed at the last minute, with some surfaces not painted correctly.

The first specimens you see when you enter the gallery are dinosaurs, which of course birds are. It is great to see the RSPB and the Natural History Museum trying to convey this information to the general public. However, there were no mention of Richard Owen, Charles Darwin, Thomas Henry Huxley or John Ostrom within this section of the exhibition, or indeed anywhere that I could see. What also disappointed me was that lack of linking the exhibition to other specimens on display in the museum that visitors could go and visit afterwards. In my mind, this set the tone for the levels of dumbing down found within Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre. It was not all doom and gloom however, as the actual type specimen (and not a cast) of Archaeopteryx lithographica was on display.

For those of you that don’t know, the oversight of neglecting to mention the aforementioned scientists is quite significant. Owen was responsible for founding the museum we were standing in, as well as number of scientific feats in the mid to late 1800s. Thomas Henry Huxley and John Ostrom were pivotal figures in the acceptance of the idea that birds are descended from dinosaurs. Huxley, a prominent advocate of Darwin’s theory of evolution, was one of the first to suggest a close relationship between birds and reptiles in the 19th century, comparing the skeletal structure of Archaeopteryx to that of small dinosaurs. His work laid the groundwork for later palaeontologists. John Ostrom revitalised the hypothesis in the 20th century by discovering Deinonychus in 1969, a theropod dinosaur with striking similarities to birds, particularly in its anatomy. Ostrom’s research reignited scientific interest in the bird-dinosaur connection, helping solidify the idea that birds are modern dinosaurs. Richard Owen, who initially described Archaeopteryx, opposed Huxley’s evolutionary views but contributed to early palaeontological understanding. Meanwhile, Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection provided the overarching framework that allowed scientists like Huxley and Ostrom to argue for the evolutionary link between birds and dinosaurs. How could you leave such important details out when trying to tell this story?

Next you sweep by some of the more notable extinct species of early birds such as the ‘wonderchicken’ Asteriornis maastrichtensis which lived 66.7 million years ago, providing direct evidence of that some of the lineages of birds alive today predate the mass extinction that wiped out their non-avian cousins. There was also a skull cast of Odontopteryx toliapica an extinct albatross-like bird that lived about 50 million years ago and was found in the London Clay of the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. This is a specimen that was discovered extremely close to home. Finally, were a handful of specimens from the Messel Pit in Germany, including a swift (Scaniacypselus szarskii) from 47 million years ago. The fossils of the Messel Pit are instantly recognisable due to the amber resin that is used to stabilise the fossils, that has helped us understand more about the Eocene of Europe than any other site. Some of the most important fossils to be found there include Darwinius masillae, Eoconstrictor fischeri, and Palaeochiropteryx tupaiodon yet these adjacent discoveries and the importance of the Messel Pit were neglected.

Another of the neglected stories was that of the the Pfeilstorch (German for “arrow stork”) which played a crucial role in our understanding of bird migration. Before the discovery of the Pfeilstorch, the migration patterns of birds were a mystery, with some ancient cultures believing birds hibernated or transformed into other species during winter. Some early naturalists believed that birds flew to the moon in winter or hibernated at the bottom of lakes. However, in 1822, a white stork (Ciconia ciconia) was found in Germany with a 300 cm long African spear embedded in its neck, yet it had survived and flown all the way from Africa to Europe. At this time, Europe has expanded it’s empires across the globe and saw a number of familiar bird species on distant continents yet no one had yet realised these birds were the same populations that visited at certain times of the year. This stork, known as the Pfeilstorch (one of over 20 eventual birds), provided the first concrete evidence that birds migrate over vast distances between continents. The presence of the African spear proved that the bird had travelled from sub-Saharan Africa, helping scientists to realise that many European bird species, like storks, spend the winter months in Africa and migrate back to Europe for breeding season. This discovery was pivotal in proving long-distance migration, a concept that was not fully understood at the time. It marked a turning point in the scientific study of migration and laid the foundation for modern ornithology. Today, bird migration is a well-documented phenomenon, but the Pfeilstorch remains an iconic example of early evidence for this natural behaviour – yet this importance was glossed over.

Okay, onto something positive. One of the most impressive aspects of the exhibition is how it captures the diversity of the avian world. From the brilliantly coloured plumage of tropical birds to the peculiar shapes and behaviours of species like the southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) or the great hornbill (Buceros bicornis). The exhibit is a feast for the eyes and extremely visually appealing, with it being clear to me that the best mounted specimens were used to act as ambassadors for their species. Some of the information associated with the specimens was incorrect however, so I am not sure when the text for each was drafted. For example, Spix’s macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) has successfully been reintroduced into the wild in the past few years, yet the description below the specimen suggests it is still extinct in the wild. Perhaps at the time of writing they were, however eight birds were released in mid-2022. Either way, I was happy to see this species here too for simple fact that they represent a species that has against the odds started to recover from a complex cocktail of threats, including habitat loss and the illegal pet trade.

Looking at things from the eyes of a more general audience, the exhibit does an excellent job of providing educational content that is accessible to visitors of all ages. As previously stated (and illustrated) informative panels accompany each display, offering insights into bird biology, behaviour, and the challenges they face in the wild where applicable. There are a number of interactive elements, such as screens with videos, scent pods, and tactile specimens which are scattered throughout the exhibit, improving the accessibility to visitors who may be impaired. These features are especially effective in engaging younger visitors, who can learn through play and exploration. I wish we saw more of this in museum exhibits, especially in the age of 3D printing and with a greater understanding of neurological disabilities such as autism. There are also a number of bird calls playing throughout too, but unless you know what those calls are, there is nowhere that tells you what birds they correspond to. The most recognisable are the chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita), jackdaw (Coloeus monedula), swift (Apus apus) and blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus). Thankfully, I was able to tell the friends I was visiting which was which.

The exhibit also includes a section on the importance of bird conservation, highlighting the threats that many species face due to habitat loss, climate change, and human activity. This segment serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of these creatures and the importance of preserving their environments. As this exhibition was created in conjunction with the RSPB, the stats from the Big Garden Birdwatch are also part of the display and paint a pretty upsetting picture at the state of Britain’s birds. Some of the more recently extinct species include the egg of a great auk (Pinguinus impennis) which went extinct on July 3, 1844 and the Kauai ʻakialoa (Akialoa stejnegeri), which was last seen in 1967. Both of these species disappeared due to human impacts, through either direct slaughtering of animals and their eggs, or due to the destruction of habitats. How can we protect the species that are currently threatened if we do not learn from our mistakes in the past?

Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre is an enjoyable exhibition although I personally feel for something that you’re paying at least £15 for as an adult to see, I was expecting a more comprehensive and scientific approach to things. This would be an amazing way to update the current birds gallery but I doubt that is going to happen. Additionally, Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre is a symptom of something my systemic within scientific institutions – the continual dumbing down of information. While it successfully combines stunning visuals with some educational content, there are a number of gaps including the ones that I have identified that could have made it so much better. My review may be largely negative but I am interested to know what your take on things were if you’ve visited. Please let me know in the comments below. Maybe after reading the accompanying book a couple of times, this exhibit will grow on me more.

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