Birdworld has celebrated the launch of its inaugural art exhibition, as guests gathered to view paintings of its beloved birds.

The UK's largest bird park has collaborated with renowned British artist Paul Nelson, who has created a series of 20 oil paintings featuring well-known Birdworld favourites, including Boy the Toucan, Moose and Elk the snowy owls, and Squid and Penguin, the beloved Humboldt penguins.

Held in the venue formerly known as the Palm Cafe, the evening brought together artists, wildlife enthusiasts and supporters of Birdworld's conservation work.

Treated to canapés and prosecco, as well as a speech from Mr Nelson himself, the night saw several of the paintings reserved ahead of the exhibition's public opening, with all works remaining on display throughout its run.

"Over the last year, I've used the collection at Birdworld as a focal point," said Mr Nelson. "Spending time with the birds, watching how they moved, how they occupied their space, opened up new possibilities in my work."

The collaboration came about after a chance encounter. Living just a stone's throw from the park, Mr Nelson, whose work hangs in the Victoria and Albert Museum and who trained at the Slade School of Art, had long admired Birdworld's remarkable residents.

However, it was a meeting with general manager James Robson in early summer 2025 that sparked the idea: a series of paintings placing each bird at the centre of its natural world, in the very habitats that Birdworld works tirelessly to protect.

"Our birds have always been the stars of the show – everything we do here begins and ends with them," said James Robson, general manager at Birdworld.

"Partnering with Mr Nelson felt like a natural extension of that. His paintings tell the stories of these incredible birds in a completely different way, and we hope they'll introduce Birdworld to a whole new audience."

A percentage of proceeds from the collection, which took almost a year to complete, will go directly to Birdworld's Conservation Fund. Since its establishment in 2008, the fund has raised more than £90,000 for initiatives worldwide.

"Seeing our birds depicted in their natural habitats is a powerful reminder of why our conservation work matters so much," added Mr Robson. "These are the environments we are fighting to protect, and Paul's paintings bring that to life in a way that words alone cannot."

For Mr Nelson, the project opened new creative territory. Landscape has always been at the heart of his practice, but placing Birdworld's iconic residents at the centre of each composition offered fresh possibilities and a chance to tell a bigger story about the natural world.

He said: "The first painting I did was of Boy the Toucan, who is in fact a girl, and I wanted to place her in an environment that felt true to who she is.

"Conservation is a vital part of what Birdworld is about, and I hope visitors come and lose themselves in these paintings, and perhaps leave with a deeper appreciation of just how extraordinary these birds are, and how important it is that we protect them."

The Birds is open to the public until July 12. All works are available to purchase, with a selection on loan from private collections.

For more information, visit birdworld.co.uk.