Across the forgotten walls of a Hong Kong island, a flock of bird murals rises

HONG KONG (AP) — They perch gently on concrete ledges. They nestle into peeling stucco. Occasionally, they soar across a stone house's rooftop.

A flock has landed in Wang Tong Village, a peaceful corner of Lantau Island on Hong Kong’s southwestern edge. But this flock is unlike others: Its birds are made of paint.

They exist on murals designed for a larger purpose — not merely to draw attention to forgotten places but to tell the story of the extraordinary journeys birds undertake.

Dominic Johnson-Hill, who envisioned the flock, was captivated by an account from his ornithologist neighbor about the Amur falcon, a bird that travels from Manchuria, pauses in Lantau, then continues its migration across Myanmar, India and Madagascar to South Africa.

“I just assumed these birds lived on the island,” Johnson-Hill recalls. “But they’re not. They’re passing guests.”

That sense of wonder became the seed for what became the Flock Project. Johnson-Hill looked at the abandoned house next to his own and imagined a red-billed blue magpie painted across the wall. “They just seemed to belong there,” he says.

To bring the vision to life, Johnson-Hill sought out someone who could paint birds not just accurately but with soul. He found British artist Rob Aspire, known as “The Birdman” for his intricate, expressive murals of birds.

One bird led to another. A year later, Johnson-Hill invited Aspire back and commissioned seven more murals.

Each bird was chosen for its ecological presence, visual harmony or symbolic resonance with place. A kingfisher keeps watch over a stream where fishing is no longer allowed. A Swinhoe’s white-eye blends into the walls near trees where its bright, fluting call still echoes.

All the murals are painted on abandoned homes except one. High on Sunset Peak, 868 meters (nearly 3,000 feet) above sea level, a long-tailed shrike perches naturally on the rooftop of a 90-year-old stone house, watching the mountains unfold below.

The goal is to gradually bring more of Hong Kong’s native and migratory birds into view, nestling them into forgotten corners of the island as if they had always lived there.

The murals draw hundreds of people, many from Hong Kong's concrete heart. They wander the trails and alleys of Lantau’s quiet corners. On weekends, some bring chalk and mark out arrows, turning village paths into treasure maps for the next bird hunter. Sometimes noticing beauty is the first step toward wanting to protect it.

Johnson-Hill has created an online map for visitors and is planning the next phase. What comes next depends on what reveals itself — a derelict house brought to his attention, or the conditions that make another bird possible.

Birds migrate. They disappear. Sometimes they return, sometimes not. People are the same way. Villages empty, but the walls remain — with a painted bird, or the memory of one.

A long-tailed shrike mural is seen painted on the rooftop of a stone house on Sunset Peak, Lantau, Hong Kong, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/May James)

A visitor photographs her friend posing with a mural of a white-throated kingfisher painted on an abandoned house near Wang Tong village, Lantau, Hong Kong, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/May James)

A daurian redstart is seen painted on the wall of an abandoned house in Wang Tong village, Lantau, Hong Kong on Jan 27, 2025. (AP Photo/May James)

A grey wagtail is painted on the wall of an abandoned house, beside a broken window near Wang Tong village, Lantau, Hong Kong on Jan 20, 2025. (AP Photo/May James)

Dominic Johnson-Hill looks at a white-throated kingfisher mural being painted by Rob Aspire near Wang Tong village, Lantau, Hong Kong, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/May James)

A person takes photo of art works at Wang Tong Art Walk, where the first bird mural from the Flock Project begins, in Lantau, Hong Kong, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/May James)

A yellow-browed warbler is painted on an abandoned house in Wang Tong village, Lantau, Hong Kong, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/May James)

A cyclist rides past a mural of a red-billed blue magpie in Wang Tong village, Lantau, Hong Kong, Nov. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/May James)

Rob Aspire paints a Long-tailed Shrike on the rooftop of a stone house on Sunset Peak, Lantau, Hong Kong on Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/May James)

An Amur Paradise Flycatcher, left, and a Swinhoe's White-eye are seen painted on the wall of an abandoned house near Wang Tong village, Lantau, Hong Kong, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/May James)

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 45 points and the Los Angeles Clippers routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 153-128 on Wednesday night, moving above .500 with their third straight victory and sixth in seven games.

Eighth in the Western Conference at 33-32 after opening 6-21, the Clippers had their highest points total of the season. They blew out Minnesota after beating New York on Monday night to open a five-game homestand.

Leonard was 15 of 20 from the the field, 6 of 9 on 3s and made 9 of 10 free throws. Los Angeles made 19 of 37 3s.

Bennedict Mathurin scored 22 points for Los Angeles. Clippers newcomer Darius Garland had 21, hitting five 3-pointers.

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 36 points and Naz Reid had 18.

Minnesota dropped to sixth in the tight Western Conference, but only a half-game behind the third-place Lakers. The Timberwolves have lost three in a row after winning five straight. They lost to the Lakers on Tuesday night to open four-game trip.

Leonard scored 18 points in the first quarter to help Los Angeles take a 38-27 lead. He had 28 at the half, with the Clippers up 74-65, and went to the fourth with 39 and LA ahead 109-98. Los Angeles had a 44-30 edge in the fourth.

Timberwolves: At Golden State on Friday night.

Clippers: Host Chicago on Friday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Bones Hyland gestures after making a 3-point basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Jordan Miller (22) dribbles against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Bones Hyland, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) draws a foul against Los Angeles Clippers forward Isaiah Jackson (23) and guard Jordan Miller (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots against Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) dribbles against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)