taxidermy on ebay

[MartynA]

I was absolutely amazed to see the number of birds and animals for sale on e-bay.

In particular there is a female red kite for sale at the moment at over £1,000 which states that it is 'newly modeled' and 'feather perfect'

You can't tell me that the price these items fetch isn't a big incentive for unscrupulous operators to trap wild birds???

Maybe someone 'in the know' could explain how this can be allowed

Martyn

[Lance Morgan]

They have a licence and have to be able to prove that the bird was come by legally. The law is very strict with taxidermy.

[JackBD95]

i will second Lance!

[accipter]

any bird taken in has to be sent away first to see what it died of. I have had sparrowhawks mounted that have flown into windows. alan.

[Naturenutz]

I have seen quite a few different taxidermy of birds and mammals displayed at antique auctions.Most appear to be original and very old ,and i am happy to say they rarely go for much money.£30 - £40 and that's in a display case too.So i am happy to report i dont think there is money to be made from it.I remember finding a freshly killed nightjar on a somerset roadside,i remember thinking afterwards i should have possibly tried to preserve it for biologists or taxidermist who would probably love such a rarely found bird.

[NatureTrainee]

If you take the specimen to your local museum with a Natural History department then they can turn it into a study skin for reference. We are able to produce these ourselves and add them to the collection rather than pay to have them mounted professionally which can be expensive!

[RKB]

Originally Posted by Naturenutz

I have seen quite a few different taxidermy of birds and mammals displayed at antique auctions.Most appear to be original and very old ,and i am happy to say they rarely go for much money.£30 - £40 and that's in a display case too.So i am happy to report i dont think there is money to be made from it.I remember finding a freshly killed nightjar on a somerset roadside,i remember thinking afterwards i should have possibly tried to preserve it for biologists or taxidermist who would probably love such a rarely found bird.

There is a lot of old, poor, Victorian or pre-war taxidermy, as it was a bit of a craze, and I think this is what you're seeing. A lot of it was done by amateurs and chancers, but some was by very skilled artists and well-known names, and these command a LOT of money (many £hundreds). Similarly, ttoday you will see a lot of poorly stuffed crows, jays and squirrels for sale, done by amateurs, for about £50. But I had a tit stuffed by one of the better known names a few years ago and it cost £250. Something like a Kite, mounted by someone like Mike Gadd, will cost you an arm and a leg. See some of his prices here: http://www.taxidermy.co.uk/birds/other.htm (e.g. Song Thrush for sale for £285)

accipter - they do not have to be "sent away" (sent where?), but some species need a permit in order to be traded, and if anyone find evidence that they were taken illegally (e.g. a shot bird in a freezer, a mounted specimen showing traces of posion or shot) then you can be in trouble. But, generally speaking, anyone can take a dead bird to a taxidermist and pay to have it mounted. If you shot it, then you're liable to be reported by the taxidermist.

If you find something interesting then the bird collection at the British Museum (Tring) might be interested, as they mainly rely on donations and many of their specimens are quite old now. This is a much more worthwhile bet than a local museum (sorry, NatureTrainee) as it's the national collection and is used for a lot of research.

[solus]

I have noticed a number (either that or one or two repeatedly offered because they don't sell - I have never watched any to their conclusion) recently stuffed Puffins from Iceland on eBay.

I have a saved search for "Puffin" as I'm interested in ornaments (of the ceramic variety!) and I see these taxidermy ones regularly. I have no idea how successful the sellers are or indeed what the laws are regarding importing these into the UK. I just know I wouldn't want one: I like my Puffins to be alive and well! Having said that, I do have a Puffin bill from the aftermath of a Great Skau's supper....

[Naturenutz]

The majority i would imagine like to collect a certain taxidermists work,eg a vintage well know taxidermist or a modern highly praised taxidermist.I do not think many people want any old piece of taxidermy , which is a very good thing as a dodgy new start up probably wont do to well as ebay seems to show.There has long been a very good trade in vintage fish taxidermy, with many game/course fish selling for good prices.Strangely ive never seen any sea fish taxidermy.Its not really in vogue these days,hence the low prices in my opinion.

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by RKB

..... But I had a tit stuffed by one of the better known names a few years ago and it cost £250.......

Wow, that sounds a bit steep! I currently have a Kingfisher being 'modelled' (many taxidermists apparently prefer this term to 'stuffed') by one of the UK's leading exponents of the art and for which his charge is only £150 plus the cost of a specially constructed and extra strong perspex case so that I can easily and safely transport it for use in my Kingfisher talks/presentations.

Incidentally, the bird in question was found dead in the water at a local nesting territory during the severe weather of last winter.

As to the legal issues involved, here's an extract from the website of the taxidermist I'm using -

"IMPORTANT NOTES

All commissions for reptiles, birds, mammals or fish are taken on only if the specimen or specimens have been legally obtained in all regards and can be proved to be so. If there is any doubt about the legality of any specimen at any stage it will not be mounted and any deposit taken may be forfeit. If you have any doubt about the legality of a specimen or the legal situation regarding having that specimen mounted you should contact :

Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service.
Global Wildlife Division.
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Eagle Wing, Zone1/17K
Temple Quay House
2. The square
Temple Quay
Bristol. BS1 6EB
Tel: 0117 3728120"

Extract courtesy of Philip Leggett - http://www.taxidermy-uk.net/

For more information on the legal issues see here - http://www.taxidermylaw.co.uk/index.cfm

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Kingfishers, Barn Owls and Avocets)