BIRD TAXIDERMY

Other animals may have wings, but it is birds that decidedly dominate the sky. In taxidermy, capturing the correct wing attitude and true essence of flight can transform a mounted bird into a dynamic statement of flair and motion. On the other hand, it is all too common to see mounted birds with dead, lifeless wings. A poorly done flying bird can be lifeless and static. All it takes to remedy this problem is to adapt these sound methods for fleshing and reconstructing wings.

Skinning Options. Skins must be fleshed in a way that leaves no room for rot. Simply put, this means separating all skin from meat and bone. There are many ways to correctly skin wings, and the choice of method depends on the species and pose.

One method is to skin a wing by inverting the wing part away from the inside, and fleshing it without detaching the secondary feathers from the ulna. This only works in small- to medium-size birds. For large birds, the last portions of the ulna and radius bones have to be fleshed by cutting the wing from the underside and removing the meat and tendons from the exterior. In addition, on even larger birds (honker-size and larger), the last joint (pinion) has to be treated this way as well.

...Continued in the Fall 2004 Issue of Breakthrough.

If you want to subscribe or receive back issues, please select one of the following options: