Ground Bird

©Jennifer Tetlow – Ground Bird – Sandstone 12 x 8 x 8 inches

I’ve been watching ground feeding birds, it astonishes me how acute their vision is and how quickly they peck up tasty morsels.  There have been lots of blackbirds feeding in wet ground nearby, pulling worms – they sort of bird prance about, looking with focused intent, then dart forward head down, wings hunched, tugging and teasing out their find.

These snippets of observing wildlife feed into my sculpture and Ground Bird incorporates a number of these feeding characteristics.  I’ve represented them by carving large eyes and beak, with the wings arched upwards (like raised shoulders), though my bird is rather heavy and lumbering, more typical of a flightless, ground-dwelling bird.

There are about forty species of birds unable to fly and they differ from flying birds in that they have flat breastbones, smaller wings and reptile style bones in their mouths.

©Jennifer Tetlow – Ground Bird – Sandstone 12 x 8 x 8 inches