<P> The liver bird / ˈlaɪvərbɜːrd / is the symbol of the English city of Liverpool . It is normally represented as a cormorant, and appears as such on the city's arms, in which it bears a branch of laver seaweed in its beak as a further pun on the name "Liverpool". </P> <P> King John founded the borough of Liverpool by royal charter in 1207 . The borough's second charter, granted by Henry III in 1229, gave the townspeople the right to form a guild with the privileges this came with, including the right to use a common seal . Liverpool's ancient seal probably dated from this time, though the earliest surviving impression (kept in the British Museum) is from 1352 . The seal depicted a generic bird with a plant sprig in its beak, together with a scroll inscribed (in shaky letters) "JOHIS" - an abbreviation for Johannis, Latin for "of John". The bird was almost certainly intended to be an eagle, the symbol of John the Evangelist, who was both the namesake and the patron saint of King John . The plant sprig is interpreted as broom (planta genista in Latin), a badge of the Plantagenet dynasty . Also visible on the seal is a star and crescent, one of King John's personal badges . </P>

What is the animal on liverpool's crest