Ghosts of birds long flown the nest

You may think birdwatching is best left to Bill Oddie, but a whole host of artistic luminaries are coming out of their nests in tribute to our long-lost feathered friends. In the last 30 years, a staggering 21 species have become extinct and another 190 species are now endangered. With these sobering statistics in mind, Margaret Atwood has knitted a great auk, Ralph Steadman and Peter Blake have each immortalised the Dodo and Polly Morgan has crafted a New Zealand Little Bittern in its own silk shroud. These and other memento-mori of the bird world are on display at the Rochelle School until November 23, curated by filmaker Ceri Levy. With even the London sparrow declining by a sharp 68% from 1994- 2009, this is a wake up call for townies as much as rural ramblers. Worth Tweeting about. Kirsty McQuire

For more info, see Ghosts of Gone Birds listing.

Tags: art, birdlife international, birds, conservation, endangered species, exhibition, ghosts of gone birds, Kirsty McQuire, nature, rochelle school, shoreditch, things to do, wildlife