A Toucan from Birdworld is top of the bill after becoming the avian star of a best-selling video game.

The attraction’s Toco Toucan ‘Boy’ has stolen the show as the six-year-old’s voice features in the pirate adventure Sea of Thieves.

Pet companions can be snapped up as additional in-game purchases in the swashbuckling multiplayer epic by Xbox Game Studio Rare.

Rare’s country-wide search for an animal park that kept Toco Toucans led them to Birdworld with Boy being a favourite among guests and staff due to his cheeky nature.

Katie Tarrant, senior sound designer at Rare, thanked East Hampshire’s biggest tourist attraction for coming to their rescue as their research into the tropical bird was extensive.

She said: “When we first envisioned adding a toucan as a pet in the game, I began researching reference videos and quickly realised how unique their sounds are.

“However, I was surprised to find that no sound effects libraries included toucan calls. That’s when we decided to record them live and thankfully, Birdworld came to our rescue.”

Katie and her team discovered that Boy was camera shy while attempting to capture a mixture of Boy’s squawks and “click” noises during a full day of recording.

But with the help of Living Collections Manager Polly Bramham, the group slowly helped him to come out of his shell.

They spent one-on-one time with Boy, moving him into a separate pen, and feeding the microphone through the enclosure to make him feel at ease. 

“It’s safe to say that Boy was camera shy at first, but after gently getting to know him, he soon grew in confidence,” said musician Chloe Kwok, whose subject grew hungry for success.

“So much so that at one point he tried to eat the microphone, which was highly amusing. It was clear that Boy certainly had the personality that we were looking for.” 

Boy's contributions were carefully edited and integrated into the game over the following days. Early reviews suggest that the addition of the toucan has been a major hit, receiving widespread acclaim from players. 

For Birdworld, highlighting Boy’s species forms part of a wider initiative to educate the world about these iconic birds. 

“Toco Toucans are the largest members of the toucan family, and currently, their populations are stable enough to be classified as Least Concern from a conservation standpoint,” added Polly.

“While this might suggest there's no immediate cause for concern, the last assessment of Toco Toucans was conducted in 2016.

“Unfortunately, since then, their numbers have been rapidly declining due to trapping and habitat loss.  

“Of the 50 toucan species, 39 are now experiencing population declines, which is a troubling trend we’ve observed for years.

“The more we learn about these incredible birds, the better equipped we are to protect and appreciate them.” 

Following his celebrity stint as a video game star, life has returned to normal for Boy, who is continuing to enjoy his regular target training sessions and the full attention of his keeper.  

For more information on Birdworld visit: birdworld.co.uk/