We love showing off creative ways people showcase birds through art. Think, our . Today, we bring you six British birds鈥攎ade out of Legos, those plastic building blocks of our youth (or at least of my youth).
Bobby Robin, Kingsley Kingfisher and the rest of the gang need your help. Not just the typical conservation call for on-the-ground work鈥攖hough that鈥檚 always welcome. This time, we鈥檙e talking action with the click of a mouse.
Their designer, Thomas Poulsom, wants to make six of these birds a permanent Lego collection. For that to happen he needs at least 10,000 supporters; so far, he鈥檚 got more than 1,000. (Click to show your love and tell Lego to make it happen.) Because these plastic sculptures pretty much speak for themselves, here鈥檚 a picture of each, with some 鈥渂iographical鈥 info below from the and from Poulsom who, in addition to thinking up these delights, is a self-described tree surgeon, gardener, and avid birder.
P.S. He鈥檚 open to suggestions for the next birds he creates. Send your thoughts his way.
Bobby : Robins really tickle Poulsom鈥檚 fancy. He goes so far as to call them his favorite species. Bobby here is all plumped up after the feast of worms from his inventor-pal.
Kingsley : Kingfishers, according to , 鈥渇ly rapidly, low over water, and hunt fish from riverside perches, occasionally hovering above the water鈥檚 surface.鈥 Poulsom worried that Kingsley wouldn鈥檛 feel at home, so he built the bird what he called a 鈥渟lice of river and a twiggy perch.鈥 He鈥檚 not 100% satisfied with the wings, but hey, we think they鈥檙e pretty great. They are made of legos, after all.
Billy : These blue-yellow-white-green beauties are commonly found throughout the UK but for some islands of Scotland. Poulsom says he loves the birds鈥 tuft.
Penelope : Puffins! In the UK, the recommends looking for this species at Bempton Cliffs and South Stack reserves; the Farne Islands; the Isle of May; and the Shetland and Orkney Islands. We鈥檝e got them here too, in the northeastern US.
Gloria : Unlike their , these European goldfinches have red faces. Poulsom gave Gloria a feeder, a nest, and even three eggs.
Woody : Woody here is a greater spotted woodpecker (not to be confused with his , which could be a pileated woodpecker). Poulsom found inspiration for this guy out his back window: 鈥淚 sometimes hear woodpeckers knocking away at trees from my apartment. They are pretty easy to spot, with their red flashes.鈥