Tag Archives: Birds

Take a dive into the ocean of creativity with this colorful birdy [Intructions]

You’ll never know when the next wave of creativity will hit your mind. Our good old friend, colleague, and founder of Brickset.com, Huw Millington gave rein to his imagination as he was reviewing the latest LEGO Creator polybag, 30545 Fish Free Builds. Along with an exotic fish shoal Huw even came up with a couple of fancy birds. This grumpy birdie, which has something in common with Zazu from The Lion King, has instantly captured the hearts of the Brothers Brick team.

Now, we suggest our readers to join the fun and build your own version of Huw’s bird! Here is a short building guide for you to start with, but go ahead and build it the way you like it! Put it on a branch of a tropical tree, or make it sing with its beak wide open. And don’t forget to share your creations with us!

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Birds of a feather that click together

This trio of 1:10 scale avian models by Luis Peña utilise unexpected elements in some unique ways. Take for example the humble LEGO macaroni tube. Here it’s reimagined as the elegant neck of a blushing pink flamingo.

Check out the other two birds

Who’s a pretty boy?

This gorgeous and extremely lifelike yellow-crested cockatoo by Timofey Tkachev shows off some expert sculpting techniques. Building a feathered friend from LEGO bricks isn’t easy, especially when you want to capture the variety of textures in its plumage. Timofey has opted for a clever counterpoint between a patchwork of angled slopes for the breast and smooth Technic panels for the wings. In addition, little highlights have been added through the use of specialist elements: a croissant, banana, dinosaur tail and others pieces are all hidden away in the model, each adding to its crisp detailed finish.

Immersed in a world of magic

I must admit that animals often catch my eye by themselves, but this immersive group of builds by Sven Franic is even better. It’s easily recognizable as Hedwig and a collection of Harry Potter’s possessions. But what impresses me the most is the exceptional attention to detail and unique use of parts. Take the ink-spill or the black hotdog wick on the candlestick, for example.

The conical hat from LEGO Ninjago sets was an excellent way to finish off the handle of the wand. Additionally, the 6-stud shooter and gold wheel were a great solution for the lamp filament. I admire the body-shaping for Hedwig, as it’s not an easy feat to produce nice feathers on a bird looking straight on, let alone from the side.

Sven is not a stranger to building birds. Back in June he produced a pretty epic toucan. You could even build your very own cuckoo clock bird using Sven’s excellent instructions!

Bricks in the hand are worth four builds of birds [Instructions]

If your LEGO city is situated by the seas, here are four complementary birds that could be residents of the local shores. Tammo S creates a few feathery friends from a lesser black-backed gull, a parrot/finch, a common redshank and a royal tern. They’re tiny enough for a quick build, so start looking in your bin of parts and give them a go! My favourite is the proud parrot – what’s yours?

A collection of fantastic LEGO South American feathered fauna

As a zoology nerd, my favorite things to write about are, of course, animals. When I saw these lovely LEGO birds by Luis Peña, I just couldn’t resist! The creative build features iconic species, including the Hyacinth Macaw, Scarlet Macaw, Andean Condor, Black-Necked Swans, Ringed Kingfisher, and Magellanic Woodpecker.

I adore Kingfishers, but I’d have to say that my favorite bird in the series is the Woodpecker. There is some clever parts usage here, giving it character. I love that mohawk headpiece, and the worm that is formerly an “Insectoid” (13757) from 70709 Galactic Titan.

Luis is a talented builder who we’ve featured before. If you like these animals, check out his recent Paleozoic sea creatures!

Bullfinch in the snow

Sometimes the best designs come from constraints. When it comes to LEGO creations, builders are constrained by the size of their collection or the colors that LEGO elements are available in. In the case of this lovely model of a Bullfinch by Peter Ilmrud, one of the constraints is a glass dome from Ikea to keep his creations dust-free. If this looks familiar, there’s a good reason. We recently featured Peter’s Aladdin vignette also designed to fit under a glass dome. This Bullfinch, based on the LEGO Ideas Birds set 21301 fits perfectly atop a snow-covered branch, looking rather stately. I can almost hear chirping.

The tree is skillfully constructed to fit inside the glass dome, without feeling too cramped, or too minimal. The curved wall at the base provides a nice anchor to the scene and the use of loosely poured ice-cream scoops as freshly fallen snow is perfect.

Mom, where do babies come from?

From a Breaking Bad scene to this bearer of babies, these LEGO creations by LEGO 7 couldn’t be more different. Although totally different, this stork is another recognizable character. And fun too! Seen wearing the red hat in the Disney classic Dumbo (and other cartoons), he is the legendary baby delivery bird.

Actually, the baby myth came from the original Hans Christian Andersen tale “The Storks,” and it was told to children who were too young to understand where babies really come from. One of my favorite things about this build is that the bird actually has posable wings, which swing outward. The body shape is great, as well as a nice marriage of System and Technic parts. Another thumbs up!

The Kakapo: not your average Kiwi

Most people know that New Zealanders got their “Kiwi” nickname from their beloved national symbol, the Kiwi bird. But did you know that there is another iconic bird from that country that is just as important? Its name is actually Kākāpō, which means “owl parrot” and it really is quite unique! Flancrest Enterprises is so passionate about this bird, that they recreated it in LEGO, with posable wings!

What makes the Kakapo so unique is that it’s not like any other parrot in the world. It is large, heavy, flightless, and nocturnal. Their wings and tail are quite short, and they have large feet for climbing and cruising around on the forest floor. In addition, one of their most interesting features is that they don’t form tight bonds. Males engage in “lekking” where they gather together to engage in competitive display and entice females. Males will then mate with multiple females, while the females mate with a single male, and there is no paternal help with the young.

Above all, the most notable thing about the Kākāpō is that it’s critically endangered. There are less than 150 left. Naturally they don’t have any predators, but humans have both destroyed habitats and hunted them to near extinction. Fortunately, there are amazing people working on conservation and recovery programs. If you’re like me and think these special, adorable birds deserve a comeback, learn more and give them your support!

A small and handsome predator

There are some builders that we can’t help but showcase again and again. These are the incredible artists that somehow manage to consistently produce one beautiful build after another. One such builder, Felix Jaensch, is at it again. His LEGO animals are always superb, and stand as frozen replicas of their real-life counterparts. This handsome male kestrel is certainly no exception. He shares a remarkable, regal resemblance to the real bird, only slightly larger to capture the detail.

Kestrels are very unique predators. At least in the US, they have sometimes been mistakenly called “sparrow hawks” for their size. But these little birds are not hawks at all. They have the distinct “tear” marks and notched beaks of the falcon family. They also hunt and dispatch their prey with their beaks instead of their feet. One unique thing about kestrels is that they hover-hunt. Which means their wings are specially designed to fly almost stationary, less than 80 feet off the ground. Then they dive at their prey. Also, they can see the ultraviolet glow of vole urine, which is left in trails through fields. Additionally, males and females are dimorphic, meaning that they look different from each other. Males are smaller and more colorful, while females are larger and more neutral.

I have actually had the lucky opportunity to work closely with a mated pair of these magnificent little birds, Simba and Nala. I was captivated by their charm as I helped train them for an Ambassador Animal program at a wildlife rehabilitation center. Unfortunately, both birds were un-releasable due to previous injuries. Simba was missing an eye from hitting a window, and Nala had a bad wing from being attacked by a cat. It’s a stark reminder of our impact on wildlife. You can help by supporting your local wildlife center, putting a bell on your cat, and placing deterrents on/near windows.

A toucan of appreciation for a beautiful bird

Trek far enough through the tropical rainforests of South America, and you might be lucky enough to stumble upon the toco toucan. Toucans are widely recognized because of their big, bold, bodacious beaks. It’s a wonder they are able to support the weight of that massive-looking head. For that matter, we are amazed Sven Franic was able to pull off the same feat with his brick-built toucan. By utilizing a wide variety of curved elements, Sven has managed to sculpt out an excellent likeness of this magnificent bird. The wooden perch is also a nice touch, one that probably also helps with supporting bird’s weight. It’s “toucan-tastic!”

Who....Who....Who can make an amazing owl?

Chungpo Cheng, that’s who! You might remember Chungpo’s work from a few weeks ago when we shared his stunning, super-sized Star Wars battle droids. This time, he chose to make big versions of the classic LEGO owl, rat and “cheese slope” elements. In particular, the owl is packed with lots of personality. Those big eyes and upturned eyebrows make Chungpo’s owl look warm and approachable. I almost want to hand-feed the little guy some birdseed!

Chungpo has sculpted an excellent likeness of the original owl piece. He has even photographed the two side-by-side for comparison. Continue reading →