Bird Skeleton Making Guide

Join the group: XR Skeletons Rebellion

As the Climate & Ecological crisis deepens around the world our beautiful feathered friends are dwindling in numbers. Join us in making a skeleton model of an endangered bird, using (mainly) recycled materials from your household.

Exploring the anatomy of a creature and how it is structured can bring us closer to understanding the life around us we are losing, and closer to ourselves. It is a journey which invites focus and accuracy, connection and reflection. The birds which we create can hang from our living room ceilings or be turned into animated puppets to bring out when we next fly together in the street.

bird-skeleton-1.jpg Wood grouse skeleton

bird-skeleton-2.jpg

1. Why a bird skeleton?

Shared joy & happiness, fun, beautiful singly and as a group.

This activity can be done by anyone with no previous experience, it helps to keep the mind calm and focused, gives an uplifting visual image, a symbol of liberation and raises awareness of particular Red list bird species. These are lots of important messages plus beautiful images for social media shares.

In the future: audiovisual immersive performances using shadows of skeletons.

2. Who can do it?

Anyone! It takes some time and patience but is rewarding, if you’ve never made objects before and are clumsy or if you’re a pro-sculptor.

You can choose to make a full bird skeleton or a paper one. For example, there's a little paper crow.

3. Which bird species

We have listed endangered species here.

Ideally, the species you make should be easily identifiable and have clearly distinguishing features, eg particular types of beaks and feet. Good examples are puffins and white-tailed eagles.

4. How big and how detailed?

Life size models have the best visual impact & fits the skeleton group ethos. Technically it’s easier to make medium and larger birds, ranging from Puffins (wingspan up to 63cm & body size 30cm including feathers) to Wandering albatross (wingspan up to 3.5m and body size up to 135cm including feathers).

5. What to make it with

Cheap, easily accessible materials found in your home.

Materials List >

Must be waterproof - varnished in the end.

Recycled stuff needs to be primed so the paint won't flake off.

6. Flapping/ talking / calling / singing?

It would be great if they fly: simple rod-puppet technology to flap wings? Just flapping the model up and down might be ok for little kiddies' basic paper cut out birds.

Musician Sam Lee made this soundtrack of birdsong with the RSPB.

Lists of Bird Species at risk

British Trust for Ornithology- list of Birds of Conservation Concern

UK species non-birders are likely to have heard of:

List of Vulnerable birds from wiki (Global)

Types of larger species non-birders are likely to have heard of:

Background information

Birds of Conservation Concern 5 has placed more species onto the Red list than ever before.


Revision #3
Created 15 December 2020 07:22:59 by Alix Emery
Updated 20 October 2024 10:20:31 by Emma