Proudly perched on the peaks of the historic Royal Liver Building, the Liver birds are the mythical symbols of Liverpool, overlooking the city for well over a century.
The story of the Liver bird is said to date back to 1207, when King John decided to award Liverpool a Royal Charter, making it an official town. The document was sealed with the image of a bird - and so, the Liver bird was born.
The Liver bird statues, which stand at 18ft tall with a wingspan of 24ft, were installed atop the Liver Building in 1911. Known as Bella and Bertie, the pair have inspired a number of urban legends over the years. One such tale is that the pair face away from each other because, if they were to mate and fly away, Liverpool would fall into ruin. Another rumour tells of the birds being chained down because if they flew away, the River Mersey would burst its banks and flood the city.
