How to Draw a Bird (Easy Step-by-Step for Kids)

To draw a bird, start with a round head on top of a bigger oval body. Add an eye and a pointy beak, then a wing on the body. Finish with a tail of three feathers and two thin legs.

Finished cartoon bird facing right, blue with a light blue belly, a dark blue wing and tail and an orange beak and legs
The finished bird
Steps
6 easy steps
You need
  • Pencil
  • Eraser
  • Black marker
  • Blue, light blue, dark blue and orange crayons

Updated

Teaching this to a class?

Show one step at a time on the board and wait for the class before the next. The directed drawing for kids page explains how to run it.

How to draw a bird step by step

  1. A round head drawn on top of a bigger oval body

    Step 1 of 6: Draw a round head on top of a bigger oval body.

  2. A round eye with a shine dot and a small pointy beak on the head

    Step 2 of 6: Add a round eye with a shine dot and a small pointy beak.

  3. A wing with three bumps along the bottom on the body, with the head and body now joined in one outline

    Step 3 of 6: Draw a wing with three bumps along the bottom, then erase the line where the head meets the body.

  4. A tail of three rounded feathers at the back of the body

    Step 4 of 6: Add a tail of three rounded feathers at the back.

  5. Two thin legs under the body, each with a foot of three thin toes

    Step 5 of 6: Draw two thin legs under the body, each with a foot of three thin toes.

  6. The bird colored blue with a light blue belly, a dark blue wing and tail and an orange beak and legs

    Step 6 of 6: Color the bird blue with a light blue belly, the wing and tail dark blue and the beak and legs orange.

Tips for little artists

  • Tip: Press lightly with the pencil first. Trace the lines you like with the marker, then erase the rest.

  • Tip: Put the beak on the side of the head away from the tail. Then the bird faces forward.

  • Tip: Color the front of the body light blue, from under the beak down to the bottom. That lighter part is the belly.

Make it yours

  • Red bird

    Color the bird red and add a small pointed crest on top of the head.

  • Flying bird

    Skip the legs and draw the wing stretched up above the body.

  • Bird on a branch

    Draw a brown branch under the feet with two green leaves on it.

Common mistakes and easy fixes

  • The head sits in the middle

    Place the head on the front top of the body, the side the beak points to.

  • The wing covers the whole body

    Keep the wing inside the body line and leave room below it for the belly.

  • The legs are too thick

    Draw each leg as two thin lines close together. Thin legs look like real bird legs.

Fun facts about the bird

  • Birds are the only living animals that have feathers. (Source: Britannica Kids)

  • The bee hummingbird is the smallest living bird. It is only about 2.5 inches long. (Source: Britannica Kids)

  • The ostrich is the largest living bird. Some male ostriches can stand 8 feet tall. (Source: Britannica Kids)

Questions grown-ups ask

How do you draw a bird easy?

Draw a round head on an oval body. Add an eye, a beak, a wing, a tail and two legs. The 6 steps above follow that order.

How do you draw a bird for kids?

Use simple shapes: a circle for the head, an oval for the body and a triangle for the beak. Add a bumpy wing, a three-feather tail and two thin legs.

How do you draw a bird step by step?

Start with the head and body, then the eye and beak, the wing, the tail and the legs. Color it last.

If the tail came out a little crooked, that's fine. Your bird is ready for its branch. More easy drawings for kids are on the home page.

Step 1 of 6

A round head drawn on top of a bigger oval body
Draw a round head on top of a bigger oval body.