Species included are:
Atlantic Puffin
American Coot
Black Skimmer
Virginia Rail
Horned Grebe
Belted Kingfisher
Common Tern
Herring Gull
Common Loon
Brown Pelican
Glossy Ibis
Great Blue Heron
Hillman provides detailed instructions on how to choose and prepare the wood, and how to proceed with various parts of the body, including feet for the standing birds. Six of the templates here are life-size, and the remainder include notes providing full-size dimensions; many of these carvings can be made from a single piece of wood. All patterns have top, front, and side views to aid in maintaining proportions.
Carving Water Birds is an accurate and easy-to-use guide for carvers of all abilities to use in creating some of the best-known birds of watery domains.
Be sure to add other guides by Anthony Hillman, published by Echo Point Books, to your library: Painting Duck Decoys, Carving Miniature Duck Decoys, Painting Shorebird Decoys, Carving Favorite Songbirds, and Carving Traditional Fish Decoys.