I’ve always wondered about birds of the same family and their natural talents. A distinct difference between a parrot and a cockatoo are their capabilities of speech – cockatoos aren’t as skilled in that department as their colorful cousins. This brick-built perched cockatoo by Alanboar Cheung looks deceptively simple, but with the added twist of using LEGO brick separators for its feathery crest. It just goes to show that as long as there’s a stud exposed, a connection will find its way. I really like how they can also be raised as a surprised cockatoo would react.

There are a few things that make a LEGO model stand out if executed particularly well – life in motion, and organic shapes. This build by Timofey Tkachev does both well, with this killer whale in an iconic breaching display. It is strange to know that to date, we have little knowledge on why whales perform this elegant dance of the waves, with only guesses on what it could mean. We still enjoy their majestic maneuvers nevertheless – and find ourselves amazed by it not only in real life but with this cleverly constructed jump that almost seems to be defying gravity.

There is a sense of playful curiousity in this bear cub creation by Miro Dudas. The effect comes from the animal’s posing, with a raised paw and a tilted head, which really makes the bear look alive. Carefully chosen colours and studs pointing outwards at all sides round off the build as an almost photorealistic recreation. While many builders would stop there, Miro goes an extra step, adding a few rocks and foliage to enhance the presentation. This bear cub is the latest of Miro’s creations for his woodland creatures series.

Can someone hurry up and hire prolific LEGO builder Djokson to do the character design for their movie or videogame already? This small model manages to pack in a huge amount of personality with a neat head build and a body whose colours perfectly match the single-piece wings from the old Vikings set 7017. Look carefully and you’ll see the whole build is carefully balanced, teetering on its tail to give the illusion of flight.