Juvenile Goldfinch Taxidermy Project
Here’s what I have been working on this week!
A juvenile Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) that unfortunately met his demise flying in to a window.
My customer wanted the wings displayed out, so I posed this little bird in a take off position, which shows off the ‘gold’ fabulously.
I find small birds particularly challenging due to their delicate, fiddly nature, they can spoil very quickly which can lead to feather loss.
But this time, I soaked the bird in denatured alcohol prior to skinning, which helps preserve the skin as well as toughening it a little, making them less liable to feather loss. Works a treat!
See below work in progress pictures (don’t look if you’re squeamish!).
I love how most stages look like a complete feathery mess and I always think “There’s no way this is going to turn out looking anything like a bird” but somehow, by some sort of miracle, they do.
I’ll pop him on a branch once he is dry to complete this project.
