Wild Birds in Their Haunts

Close-ups of wild birds in their natural habitat to inspire wonder in cinema audiences worldwide

This pioneering film of wild birds in their natural habitats would have inspired wonder in audiences when it was shown in cinemas across Britain and beyond. The film beautifully showcases filmmaker Oliver Pike's passion for wildlife, photographic artistry and technical inventiveness.

Pike ingeniously adapted the cumbersome, clunky cine-cameras of the day so as not to disturb his feathered subjects while filming them. Once he found his ideal vantage point, he also cunningly camouflaged himself and his equipment. After directing wildlife films for Pathé Frères Company from 1910 to 1920, Pike joined British Instructional Films where he worked on the innovative Secrets of Nature series, a collection of wildlife educational films with a twist. Along with photography and filmmaking, Pike was an ardent conservationist who wrote many books on the subject and was invited to lecture all over the country.