My goal in this article is to carve a fairly simple belted kingfisher (a smoothie) with the carving process centering on shape and form. I will leave a smooth surface and achieve the feather detail, shadowing, and shading through paint. You can power carve this bird or use traditional hand tools. I will carve it by hand, with the exception of setting the eyes, where I will use a micro-motor tool and a small diamond round bit. I use Pfiel gouges and an X-Acto knife for rounding. I am comfortable with those tools because they are what I used when I started carving. Another important tool among the gouges is the “V,” or parting tool, which I use to outline areas to carve and places on the bird’s surface to be lowered. The kingfisher is an unusual looking bird, with a large head and bill and a distinctive crest. It’s fun to carve.