HISTORY OF THE LIVERBIRD

The Liver Bird is Internationally recognised as the symbol of the great City of Liverpool. On the famous Liver Buildings two of them, 18 feet in height, stand proud, wings up and defiant which represents the indomitable spirit of the people of the city. In 1207 King John granted Liverpool a City Charter. On his seal was an eagle and many people believed this was the original Liver Bird. The seal was lost during the seige in 1644 and the copy so unskilfully made that the bird now resembled a cormorant instead of the eagle of St. John. Ornithologists and historians have long debated the mysteries, the myths and the mystique that surrounds the Liver Bird.

But the truth is that the City of Liverpool is so unique it decided that it didn't want to share someone else's symbol. It wanted it's own idiosyncratic identity so created it's own distinctive pictogram in the form of the now famous Liver Bird. Legend has it that "If the Liver Birds were to fly away Liverpool would cease to exist" And what a poorer place the world would be if that ever happened...

This website shows how the 'bird' has developed since it's conception over 350 years ago.