Pupil's release butterflies for David Attenborough

A hundred blue butterflies have been released in Stratford-upon-Avon to mark Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday.

Stratford Butterfly Farm invited pupils from Thomas Jolyffe and Stratford-upon-Avon primary schools to release the morpho butterflies into its rainforest flight area.

Jane Kendrick, from the farm, said Sir David had visited them in the early 2000's to film the blue morpho's and they wanted to do something to celebrate the conservationist on his 100th birthday.

"We just thought we had to, had to do something to celebrate his birthday," she added.

The butterflies were placed in individual jars on Thursday and Kendrick said each child was handed a pot and released the butterflies on Friday morning.

The winged insects are the farm's signature butterfly and are bred at its sister farm in Belize.

According to the Rainforest Alliance, the blue morpho is among the largest butterflies in the world, with wings spanning from five to eight inches.

Their vivid blue coloring is a result of the microscopic scales on the backs of their wings, which reflect light.