Bird Taxidermy (WARNING:Not for the easily offended, overly squeamish, holier that thou, fuss-bucket.)

This is an instructable inspired by canida's mouse/rat taxidermy. For more information on detailed taxidermy, go search "mouse taxidermy" and you'll probably find it.

to start off, I would like to say:

THIS IS GRAPHIC, THIS HAS GUTS, THIS HAS DEAD (and live) ANIMALS, so please, keep the comments on topic and dont stray into the purely bashing morality.

I will accept moral standings, because I believe in freedom of speech, but please... be mature. if not, you will be bashed with a twinkie.
thankyou, and enjoy. :)

Step 1 Getting your items

you will need cotton balls, borax/cornmeal mixture (for absorbancy), scissors, nail scissors, exacto knives (or box cutters, anything really sharp), wire, thread, a needle, and a dead bird.

oh, and chickens. but they're optional. you'll see later.

Comments

[Canadacupcakekiller]

Thank u for making this!!! I'm a VERY armature taxadermist. Did u take out the skull? Or just try your best to hollow it out?

[hunterdude1024]

instead of putting cotton could you sew it 3 quarters of the way or so then spray insulation foam in it?

[help_us_lisa]

lmao this made me laugh so hard... just picturing the poor bird over puffed with spray foam... I don't have an answer for you though but im assuming no because it dries hard, does it not? again- totally uneducated guess here lol but I kinda hope it works.

[IRtaxi]

wouldnt it be easier if you used the bones for stuffing?

[IRtaxi]

such as he kull mostly?

[fcote1]

Fernand Cote · Employer at Self Employed (Business)
Specialized in Skinning - Meat cut & Wrap - Fleshing - Tanning - Taxidermy. http://www.mastertaxidermist.ca

Seeing your display was nice experience to be added towards my works. Thanks.

[surroundsound5000]

I got interested in it when I found a dead bat; taxidermed and mounted it:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/surroundsound5000/5380298528/

Now looking for ideas on how to do it properly. Thanks for the well illustrated 'ible!

[bbuckley1]

Good post, however it is important to note that state and federal game law should be followed when choosing a species to taxidermy. Inca doves may be everywhere but they can not legally be "taken" by hunters or anyone. These birds are protected under the migratory bird treaty act and should not be a choice for taxidermy unless you have a species collection permit. Rock doves (pigeons) are a perfect choice. They are exotic and invasive species that have very few predators and are free to be harvested throughout the US (as long as you don't shoot them with a shotgun in town).

[mitch and sean]

Is thet were the foots meant to be?!?!

[mitch and sean]

And there's the chicken eating the bird... WAIT WHAT!?!?!?

[mitch and sean]

You need a MASSIVE Nobel prize either way.

[mitch and sean]

There's that chicken that could be headless if I was there

[mitch and sean]

Umm are you a girl cause I saw nail polish. If you are then you deserve a Nobel prize.

[mitch and sean]

At first I thought that you were holding a gun to it's chest!

[mitch and sean]

If the chicken is in the way chop of it's head it's easier (except for the nerves making It run around smashing into stuff)

[dominator027]

Who the hell would want to learn how to stuff a bird!!!!

[wenpherd]

Me.

[iquinn]

A lot of people.

[tictaclad]

the real question is why are you on this instructable if you dont want to??

[spearairsoft_bravo]

me!

[Greg C.]

Me.

[PikminRed]

Your mother.

[cowscankill]

me

[Zrcalo]

anyone who wants to preserve the natural beauty of an animal in all 4 dimensions (including time) for future generations.

[James (pseudo-geek)]

"Bird Taxidermy (WARNING:Not for the easily offended, overly squeamish, holier that thou, fuss-bucket.)"

[JMB]

anyone who shoots a nice bird and doesnt feel like paying a professional to do it great instructible i will try

[Zrcalo]

:) I know, thats exactly what I'm here for!

[Loveofchaos]

dove season opened today! i might have to try this, hope a shotgun wont mutilate the bird too badly

[mitch and sean]

Lol...lol...lol

[Zrcalo]

actually it will, unless you knock the bird out or break it's neck. my cat killed this bird, and still it was hard to taxidermy because of puncture wounds.

[Loveofchaos]

hmm bb gun? we do have some pretty stupid doves...

[Daemonikk]

A single bb to the head or heart would make such a small hole that the mount would look almost perfect :) But yeah... A shotgun blast will just pepper the thing with holes. No good :( I've mounted a rabbit hit with a shotgun, DAMN that was the hardest thing in the world. Never looked quite right, kinda looked like it had been attacked by biting insects from all of the tufty fixed-hole parts.

[Zrcalo]

that might work. though birdshot might be good enough. I dont know. just dont take a shotgun or an ak-47 (lol) up to 'em.

[cowscankill]

will a screw do bad? i have darts with screws... if not, what about nails?

[Zrcalo]

me. :) I breed rare mutations of various pet birds, sometimes when one of mine die, I feel bad about burying it because of its inherent visual trait, also things that are rare or unusual shoud be preserved. I'm waiting until I'm good enough to stuff my parakeets.

[Daemonikk]

Parakeets and budgies and the like are on the easier side of difficult :P Still hard, and you have to scissor off a portion of the skull to de-brain it because the skull won't ever go through the neck, but both of the parakeets I did came up great :) Even looked great after my cat attacked one twice :P

[trebuchet03]

Amateur Taxidermist ;)

[Zrcalo]

;) thats me.

[kvicars]

im going to try it but it looks really hard there is a dead bird in my yard do you think there is any other way to perserve the whole body

[rcosmo]

is a job that requires much patience and practice... congratulations .. I liked it.