neko

my most broken bird figure, this poor fellows branch *and* tail have snapped. he does also have quite a bit of gunk on him. other than that, he is such a cute little guy! his blue is very vibrant, and the rough texture of his feathers makes him adorably frazzled. i especially like his pose, he hangs there with his head tilted like ive just interrupted him.

blue tits (cyanistes caeruleus) are widespread throughout all of europe and a little bit of northern africa. theyre absolutely miniscule but very distinct, what with being bright blue and yellow. they eat mostly caterpillars, but also love all the other things that birds eat like bugs, seeds, etc. these lovely fellows are also big fans of bird feeders and bird houses. on top of all the regular bird stuff, blue tits are known to be skilled little acrobats, hanging upside-down to find food (hence this figure's fun pose.) despite *apparently* being one of the most common birds in the uk, i have never seen one in my life. maybe they're just too teeny-tiny, id need a microscope of some sort.

another fellow in a state of disrepair, his lovely beak is broken and some of his paint has scratched off. im very impressed with how hes managed to dangle on the head of that thistle, what a skilful acrobat! i do love how the plants in these figures give a sense of scale. in this case, the thistle really gets across the absurd tininess of the humble goldfinch.

european goldfinches (carduelis carduelis, not to be confused with the significantly more golden american goldfinch, spinus tristis) are native to europe, northern africa, and western ssia, and have been introduced to parts of oceania and south america. they are very tiny and mostly buff, but have a bright red mask and a yellow patch on the wings. apparently there is a tiny amount of sexual dimorphism: males have a slightly larger red and black mask. but honestly i have been staring at images of goldfinches trying to differentiate them and i *cant*. their big, pointy beaks are specialised for getting seeds from otherwise inaccessible flower heads, like thistles (which led to them being closely associated with jesus' crown of thorns, fun fact!)

(i do not have certain proof that the linnet Is #28 because of course there isnt just a list somewhere, i had to go hunting through any ebay listings of the magazines or the birds original packaging to find their numbers. though i was unsucessful in finding either for this particular birdie, it can be pretty safely deduced from the numbers i do have.)

i actually have two of these, one was a gift. one of them has a slightly discoloured beak, and the other has the label at the base removed, so if you fused them you could create one flawless linnet. the one pictured is the correctly-coloured one, in case you were curious. though i do love this fellow, i do not think this is a particularly accurate linnet. hes so angry-looking, not in the prideful way a real linnet looks, but like he's gonna beat me up. his rage is very cute though, i must say.

linnets (linaria cannabina) can be found throughout europe, northern africa, and western asia. theyre small, dull brown birds, though males have a bright red patch on their chests. theyre known more for their delightful song than their appearance. fun fact, the name 'linnet' comes from linseed (flax) because they love eating seeds so much. though they aren't endangered, their uk population has massively decreased since the 1960s.

this was a gift from a friend (and actually gotten at the same place as tiny soundwave.) i do think hes my prettiest country bird collection birdie, though, again, not a particularly accurate willow warbler. his dull colours look very nice against the dark purple-brown branch.

the willow warbler (phylloscopus trochilus) spends its summers in europe and northern asia, and its winters in southern africa. they are a dull grey-green colour, with a slightly lighter belly (the contrast is far less dramatic than on this figure.) where both birds live, they're very easily confused with the chiffchaff. willow warblers are best distinguished by their beautiful song. their diet is mostly insects.

he looks so alert. what are you looking for little man? his prominent white eyebrows definitely help in the expression game. i love how vibrant his red-orange chest is, he really stands out among the other figures.

not to be confused with the more dramatic and completely unrelated american redstart (setophaga ruticilla), the common redstart (phoenicurus phoenicurus) can be found through most of europe, northern africa, and western asia. males are primarily black and grey, with a distinct, vibrant red belly and tail, while females are light brown. they favour deciduous woodland.

got this guy because he came with his magazine issue and i was absolutely desperate to get my claws on the magazine. i didnt even know what a siskin was til i acquired him. hes easily my highest quality bird, probably because i didnt buy him for a quid at a charity shop. he and the willow warbler have matching trees, its cute.

the siskin (spinus spinus) is a finch native to eastern and parts of northern europe, spending its summers further north in europe and in parts of asia. its notable for its strange migration patterns, flying to western and southern europe every few winters. males are an eyecatching yellow with grey and black streaks and a black crown, and females are buff with yellowish streaks. apparently its named for its call, but honestly i dont hear it

another broken beak. how will he chat now? the leaves of his flower are also severely broken. the way he hangs off the side, im imagining him as a pirate hanging off the rope-bit (technical term) of an old-timey sailing ship like pirates no-doubt did constantly in real life.

named not for their habitat but for their sharp clicking noise, which sounds like stones being hit together, the stonechat (saxicola rubicola) can be found throughout europe. males have black backs and heads, with orange-red chests and white patches, while females are brown with darker flecks.

her poor beak and wings are broken! this is easily my most detailed figure. i especially love the textures, they're very well done. the heads of the mushrooms are very smooth, while the acorns have a rougher, wooden feel, and then theres the tiny, rough feathers on the wren herself. she is also unbelievably cute, with her tiny tail perked up and her little head tilted slightly. wrens are adorable, and this figure absolutely does them justice.

the iconic little wren (troglodytes troglodytes) lives in europe and east asia. theyre easily identified by their tiny, cocked tail and beautiful, shining eyes. they eat mostly insects, which they like to forage for on the ground like mice. though I rarely see wrens myself, i hear them often, as their song is incredibly loud (especially for such teeny guys!)

though he looks completely smooth, hes actually a bit bumpy, which makes him seem delightfully fluffy. his wings also have some lovely painted details.

chaffinches (fringilla coelebs) are native to europe and northern africa, but have also been introduced to southern africa and aotearoa. males are orange-brown with a blue-grey crown and females are brown, with both having white bars on their wings. though this was more common in the past, in some places male chaffinches are used for vinkensport, where they compete to sing the most songs in an hour. this is absurdly funny to me.

round! he is *so* round! i love how his tail curls around the branch while his wings stay pointed up, it leads to a very interesting silhouette. his big eyes are especially goofy to me, i love them a lot

these bulky birdies (pyrrhula pyrrhula) live in europe and asia. males and females have the same black cap, but males have a pink-red chest while females are light brown. their diet is mostly seeds and the buds of fruit trees. because of this, it used to be hunted in the uk as a pest.

doesnt look *anything* like a greenfinch but i forgive her because shes so cute. she almost looks like she's smiling! shes perched so adorably on that little flower, whose yellow tint matches her bright yellow belly. look at her, she fits right in! little darling <3

greenfinches (chloris chloris) are widespread throughout europe, northern africa, and western asia, and have been introduced to parts of south america and oceania. theyre a dull olive-green with yellow bars on their wings. though its european population has massively decreased in recent years due to disease, its always easy to identify by it very distinct shriek. they eat primarily seeds and berries.

woah another goldfinch! she looks a little scared to be honest (its *definitely* the white sclerae) and also not much like a goldfinch. thats okay though, because she looks very comfy and cosy on that thistle.

european goldfinches (carduelis carduelis, not to be confused with the significantly more golden american goldfinch, spinus tristis) are native to europe, northern africa, and western ssia, and have been introduced to parts of oceania and south america. they are very tiny and mostly buff, but have a bright red mask and a yellow patch on the wings. apparently there is a tiny amount of sexual dimorphism: males have a slightly larger red and black mask. but honestly i have been staring at images of goldfinches trying to differentiate them and i *cant*. their big, pointy beaks are specialised for getting seeds from otherwise inaccessible flower heads, like thistles (which led to them being closely associated with jesus' crown of thorns, fun fact!)

these are my favourite birds in my collection and i wish i knew what company made them. theyre just gorgeous. theyre very intricately detailed, *especially* for porcelain. i adore how fluffy the grey one looks, its so expertly made. the pale colour palette also looks fantastic. 10/10 birds.

cannot for the life of me figure out what birds these are supposed to be. my only guess is that the second one is some sort of tit (haha.) of course, it could be that these arent representative of any specific real-life birds and im overthinking it.

its a robin in a santa hat, whats not to love? i got her at some touristy shop a few years ago around christmas. she and my christmas winnie the pooh figurine make sure my room always has that little bit of holiday cheer year-round. i like to think it balances out the halloween gloom brought on by the number of real and plastic skeletons also in this room. but it doesnt.

The little robin (erithacus rubecula) can be found throughout europe and northern africa. they are mostly light grey-brown with a lighter belly and their iconic red chest and face. though theyre incredibly common and easy to identify, its always exciting to see a robin hanging out in a tree, twittering away to itself. they are actually very aggressive and territorial, not that you have to worry about that unless you are also a tiny bird or a delicious insect.