STUDY BILLS

Like me, if you carve ducks etc. you may be frustrated at the limited selection of study bills (casts of the bills of freshly dead bills.)

Study bills are an essential reference for accurate decoy carving, and each species has a unique and distinctive bill shape designed for the type of feeding the individual feeding does.

Even subspecies may have a significant difference in bill size and shape. For example, the American Common Goldeneye has a larger bill than the European subspecies. There are significant differences in the shape and colour of the American and European subspecies of both Black (or common) Scoter and White Winged (or surfed) Scoter. The Common Eider has six subspecies which vary enormously in bill shape, and the American Goosander or Common Merganser's bill is very distinctively different from its European counterpart.

Some of the worst carvings I have seen have been those where the study bill of one species has been used as reference for another. For example, a Red Head for a European Pochard.

In an effort to aid accuracy so that European carvers can have the right study bill for the European sub-species, and to enable carvers to carve waterfowl from all over the world, I am attempting to provide access to study bills of all the world's waterfowl. This is a very big project but I've had a good start and will be constantly increasing those available.

Study bills are available at 10 pounds each including P+P (UK.) Prices will vary slightly for other countries depending on mailing charges.

Please allow a few weeks for delivery as all casts are handmade.

The following casts are available now. Please visit the site regularly for updates and email me about any other species you need. Happy carving!

Geese:-

Greylag (western)
Pinkfoot
Lesser Whitefront

Sawbills:

Smew (hen)
Hooded Merganser (drake)

Diving Ducks:

Tufted Duck (drake and hen)
White Headed Duck (drake)
European Pochard (drake)
Ringnecked (drake and duck)
European Common Goldeneye (duck)
European Common Eider (duck)
Canvas Back (drake and duck)

Dabbling (or Puddle) ducks:

Fulvous Whistling Duck
White Faced Whistling drake
Cape Teal (drake)
Carolina Wood Duck (hen)
Mandarin duck (hen)
Southern Versicolour Teal (drake)
European Wigeon (duck)
Chiloe Wigeon (drake and duck)
Blue Winged Teal (duck)
Laysan Teal (drake)
Garganey (duck)
Ring Teal (drake)
Common Shoveler (drake)
Northern Pintail (drake)
New Zealand Brown Teal (drake)
Gadwall (duck)
New Zealand Blue Duck (hen)

Also available at 5 pounds each (inc. P+P):

Red Grouse
Ptarmigan
Grey Partridge
Red legged Partridge
Common Pheasant (male and female)
Moorhen
Wood pigeon

New additions regularly!

Last updated August 1999