Help Centre

In 2009 Phil Walters, an industrial designer from New Zealand, created and installed cool metal bird silhouettes around his neighbourhood for fun. People loved them and wanted them and 10 years later Metalbird has become a global art project.

They have been designed as a collaboration between the UK team and the New Zealand Metalbird team – these designs are exclusive to Metalbird. It all started in a backyard located in Auckland. The lead designer is Phil Walters who started this crazy dream over 10 years ago in New Zealand.

Metalbirds are laser cut from Premium 3mm Corten® steel.

A copper chromium alloy steel, our Premium Corten® Steel is weather resistant – it’s designed to quickly develop a patina, which then gives a layer of protection sealing in the steel and preserving it. It means that Metalbirds last for decades, with a patina that changes with the seasons. Corten® Steel is the steel you see use in high end exterior architecture. Once it develops a patina it looks beautiful for years

Metalbirds are crafted right here in the UK in a small factory in Wickford. They're then dispatched to you from our warehouse in Swindon.

When you install your Metalbird, you become part of The Metalbird Global Art Project. The project is created by all of you who, in the act of choosing that magic spot and putting up your bird, become artists in your own backyards. To join, tag your social posts with #mymetalbird so the whole world can see your epic installation.

"The hard part is picking the perfect location where the bird can be seen and is ideally silhouetted against the clear sky or a light single colour… take your time, find the perfect spot and be the artist. The easy part is installing it. Simply grab a hammer and tap, tap, tap it into a tree or post. If the wood is particularly hard, drill a hole a little smaller than the spike, and then hammer it in firmly making sure there is no movement in the bird."

The short answer is 'yes'. The better answer is our birds are made from Premium Corten® Steel which is a weathering steel. It wont deteriorate or crumble, quite the opposite actually - it's designed to develop a patina that then seals in the steel providing it with long term protection against the elements. We started the business 10 years ago in New Zealand and birds installed at the start still look great today with a beautiful patina that shifts with the season.

Corten® Steel or ‘Weathering Steel’ is used in high-end exterior architecture, for good reason. Exposed to the elements, within weeks it develops a patina that seals the steel and preserves it for decades. It also leaves a beautiful even colouring that will get darker over the years. This means that over time, your bird will continue to deepen in colour. Our 10-year-old Metalbirds look incredible.

We’ve found that using secondary paint systems like powder coating quickly lead to failure. Paint doesn’t last well outdoors – it cracks, water gets in and rust leaks out. Self-sealing Corten® Steel is the way to go for a long lasting great result!

No – while we’re not sure what goes through a real Wren's mind when it sees a Long Eared Owl Metalbird, however, judging from the thousands of photos we’ve seen, real birds love sitting on, or next to our art pieces.

While anything that breaks the bark of a tree is an opportunity for infection, in 10 years of Metalbirding we have yet to hear of a single tree that has been damaged as a result of one of our birds being installed. Our original birds are a decade old and the trees are flourishing. Arborists we’ve worked with believe that when the spike is driven firmly into the tree, the tree will seal around the hole to protect itself from disease. Of course, if you don’t want to install your Metalbird in a tree, there’s a whole world of posts, sheds, wooden walls and fences to explore. Let the adventure begin!

You can click on your tracking link provided in the email and register with Royal Mail. From there, you can select if you would like to redirect your parcel, leave with a neighbour, or arrange for a redelivery.

A lot of love, skill and time goes into the creation of one bird. All up, over a week’s work to get it just right! We’re a small team and at this stage it just isn't feasible for us to do small one-off projects - as much as we'd love to. We will continue to add new birds to our collection. Please ensure you are subscribed to our newsletter to stay in the loop!

We aim to have orders placed before midday shipped the same day but almost always within two business days to ensure you receive your Metalbird promptly.

For orders between £0-99 shipping rates are £3.95 for the UK. Orders over £75 will receive FREE UK shipping! Shipping price to outside the UK is stated once a destination is chosen on check-out. 

We use Royal Mail, however please note that during our peak seasons, your birds may be shipped through another carrier to assist with overflow. You will be sent a tracking number when your order is sent so you can follow your Metalbird's journey.

We aim to dispatch your order within 48 hours, however this can sometimes take up to 72 hours due to Christmas holidays. You will receive an email notification once your order has shipped. 

Unfortunately not at this time. We are only able to ship within the UK. 

Metalbirds are sent as regular mail individually packed in a beautiful flat box.

You will receive an email notification once your order has left our warehouse. From there, you will be able to click on the tracking link provided, and monitor your bird's journey! Should you need to make any changes to your delivery, simply do so within Royal Mail's website.

Absolutely… in fact, over half of the birds we sell are gifts. When you check out, you can even get us to insert a personalised message on a beautiful card. And no… we won’t put anything in the box showing how much it cost. That will be emailed to you.

We can change your address for you if your order has not left our warehouse. Once your order has left our warehouse, we are no longer able to change the address or make any other amendments. If you still require a change of address, you can manage this through the Royal Mail tracking link provided in your email.

You have the right to cancel your Metalbird.com gift voucher at any time as long as the voucher has not been used. In case of cancellation, Metalbird will refund the amount of the gift voucher to the original payment method used during ordering within 14 days of cancellation.

Yes, you can. You just have to place an order for each address separately. Shipping fees will apply for each order placed. In order to take advantage of promotional periods, or free freight, orders must be placed together to qualify.

No way… you’d kill us if it was a present! All order information will be emailed to the address you give us when checking out. We don't put anything in the shipment in case it's a gift for someone!

Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and ZIP pay.

Unfortunately, no. Discount codes cannot be used in conjunction with each other. 

Unfortunately, no. We are unable to stack discounts. Our discount codes are only redeemable on full priced items, and during non promotional periods. 

Realistically most discount codes cannot be applied to gift vouchers. The exception is a product specific discount code where the product is the gift voucher.

Don’t you hate it when gift vouchers expire? Well great news Metalbird gift vouchers are valid forever and only expire once you’ve used them! Feel free to redeem at a time that works for you… or pass it on to your family or to your friends.

Yes! Treat your balance as cash, gift vouchers are just another form of payment.

Yes, your gift voucher is valid until every cent of the balance runs out.

Metalbird gift vouchers work just as you’d expect to use any other form of payment. Add your items to cart and proceed to the check out to finalise your order payment. If you get carried away and buy more than what the voucher is valued for, simply top up the final amount with your credit card or Paypal.

Absolutely, you can redeem multiple gift vouchers on one purchase during checkout.

Certainly, gift vouchers are applied to the final order total which includes shipping and taxes.

Although we all love a gift that keeps on giving, unfortunately you can’t use a gift voucher to buy another gift voucher.

We’re here to help, please email info@metalbird.co.uk and we will confirm your available balance within 24 hours.