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Dozens of small owls have appeared across the city as part of a fundraising scheme in aid of Birmingham's sick children.

Children from more than 100 schools and community groups have spent the last few months painting and decorating 122 owlets with their own designs as part of 'The Big Hoot' campaign.

The project will raise cash for Birmingham Children's Hospital and the small statues are now in display at 18 venues across the city where they will be on show for ten weeks.

Then they will be returned to the schools to keep as a permanent memento of their contribution to the project which is backed by the Birmingham Post .

Pupils from The Oval Primary school in Yardley and King Edward's VI Sheldon Heath Academy, who have taken part in the project, boarded the open-top 'Big Birmingham Buz' to make their way to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery where they showed off some of their owlets.

The event, dubbed Big Hoot's Little Hoot, comes ahead of the main event which will see 80 giant owl sculptures forming a trail across the city.

The giant owls have been decorated by artists and community groups and sponsored by local businesses.

They will appear at locations yet to be announced across Birmingham from July 20 for ten weeks.