When a pet bird dies, it is very stressful for the owner. Not only have they lost a friend they've had for years, but a few pictures are all they have left to remember their bird. Some are doing what dog and cat owners have done for years. They have taken the bird to a taxidermist who mounted the birds.

      The information contained in this article comes from an interview with Ron, owner of Ron's Taxidermy, Gallupville, NY. We would like to thank him for his thoughtful help

      Most taxidermists use two methods of mounting, the freeze dried and the conventional mount. With freeze drying, they remove the internal organs and the brain and the carcass is soaked in a succession of chemicals to preserve and protect against insect damage. They then insert wires in the legs, wings, and body and they position everything in the desired pose. They follow freezing with placement in a freeze-drying machine to remove all moisture and they then put the bird on a perch or base.

     According to Ron, there are problems with this method. If they left the bird exposed to the air, insects will eventually start to consume the freeze-dried meat. The government no longer approves the poisonous chemicals it would take to fully protect the bird. He recommends an air tight glass case with this method. A domed glass case costs about $50 to $100, depending on size and a rectangular case with oak base and edges runs about $150 to $175.

     The conventional method of mounting starts with skinning the bird, then soaking the skin and feathers in chemicals to preserve them. The wet skin is then dried in a tumbler, using sawdust as the drying agent. White feathers can pick up an off color from the sawdust, so they use a white borax instead. This is why white feathered birds such as cockatoos cost a little more to process. Next, they put the skin with its feathers on a Styrofoam body and they insert glass eyes. The cost of all this is approximately $150 to $200, but variables can increase the cost because each bird is different.

     Small birds such as budgies cost almost as much as larger birds because of the detailed work involved.

     When a bird dies and you want it mounted, it should be placed in a plastic bag (dry), then frozen. The taxidermist will freeze it anyway until he can get time to work on it. They can refrigerate it, but only briefly, as refrigeration only slows decomposition, it does not stop it. One woman brought Ron a bird that she had refrigerated for five days and when he handled it, the feathers fell out.

      The bases they use for the birds have different prices and some people bring their own. If we have one bird already mounted at home, we could bring it to the taxidermist and add a second bird. If someone has a cat, they recommend a wall mount for the bird. Eventually the cat will use it as a scratching post or a toy and the damage may not be repairable. Male cats will spray the bird to mark his territory and you know what that smells like! Apparently cats will only heap these indignities on birds, seldom on mammals.

     If your bird's eyes are any color besides black, bring a picture, perhaps from a magazine, showing the bird's eyes. You want the taxidermist to get as close a match as he can with the glass eyes. If you don’t, the bird will not seem like your friend, because the eyes are different.

      Also, tell him if the bird had died of a disease that humans can catch, so he can take precautions to protect himself. This brings us to another point, the post mortem or necropsy. If you need a necropsy to learn the cause of death, take the bird promptly to the avian vet. If you have to wait, you can refrigerate the carcass for a short time, but never freeze it before the vet sees it. Freezing, then thawing, destroys the cells and makes it impossible to identify some diseases.

     Tell the vet the taxidermist will mount the bird and ask that no feathers be cut while opening the carcass. They can part the feathers and they need cut only the skin. Ask also that the body fluids be kept from contacting the feathers. Even with modern methods, the taxidermist probably cannot remove all the stains. When the vet is through, we can take the bird to the taxidermist or freeze it.

      If not in a glass case, we should dust the mounted bird monthly with a feather duster. Be careful! After several years, if you can no longer get it clean enough with dusting, we may take it back to the taxidermist for a professional cleaning The charge is $20 to $25. If you want to try cleaning it yourself, use plain water (never alcohol) and mist lightly, wiping carefully. With care, your bird should continue to bring you pleasure for many years to come!