Bird Taxidermy

Waterfowl, Upland Bird and Turkey Mounts — Museum Quality Since 1978

Stehling’s Taxidermy is a full-service bird taxidermy studio in Wisconsin. For more than five decades we have mounted ducks, geese, swans, pheasants, grouse, woodcock, doves, cranes and wild turkey for hunters, collectors, museums and nature centers across the United States and abroad.

Every bird is skinned, degreased, mounted and airbrushed in-house at one of our two Wisconsin studios — never sent out to a subcontractor. Choose the category that matches your bird below, or call (920) 650-7800 and we will help you plan the mount.

Family-owned since 197850+ years, award-winningUSDA-approved import facilityEvery bird mounted in-house
Start Your Bird MountView Pricing
Flying mallard and teal duck mounts by Stehling’s Taxidermy — Wisconsin waterfowl taxidermy

Choose Your Bird Category

Three specialty categories, one studio. Each page carries full pricing, pose options and a complete gallery of finished mounts.

Standing mallard drake and hen taxidermy mounts on a walnut habitat base by Stehling’s Taxidermy

Waterfowl Taxidermy

Ducks, geese, swans and sea ducks in flying, standing, swimming and dead-mount poses, with custom water, marsh and driftwood habitat bases.

View waterfowl →

Pair of flushing ring-necked pheasant taxidermy mounts on a corn-stalk habitat base by Stehling’s Taxidermy

Upland Game Bird Taxidermy

Pheasants, grouse, partridge, chukar, woodcock and dove, plus rare and exotic game birds from around the world.

View upland birds →

Full strut wild turkey taxidermy mount with fanned tail by Stehling’s Taxidermy

Turkey Taxidermy

Full strut, half strut, gobbling, flying and hen mounts, plus breast, wing, tail and beard displays. Our most requested bird.

View turkey mounts →

Popular Bird Mount Poses

Not sure how you want your bird displayed? Browse the pose pages below to see finished examples of every option before you decide.

Duck Mounts

Goose & Swan Mounts

Turkey Mounts

Have a bird in the freezer?

Double-bag it, get it frozen solid and get in touch. We will walk you through pose options, habitat bases and wall or table display before any work begins — and you can drop it off at either Wisconsin studio or ship it to us.

Start Your MountField Care Guide

How Your Bird Becomes a Mount

Bird work is the most detail-intensive craft in the trade. Here is what happens between the day you drop your bird off and the day it goes up on your wall.

01

Intake and Inspection

Your bird is tagged, photographed and inspected for feather damage, shot holes and slippage so we can plan the best possible pose before a single cut is made.

02

Careful Hand Skinning

Bird skin is close to paper-thin. Every specimen is skinned by hand, with the wings, tail and head handled individually to protect each feather tract.

03

Degreasing and Washing

Waterfowl in particular carry heavy fat. Skins are thoroughly degreased, washed and rinsed so the finished mount stays clean, bright and odor-free for decades.

04

Drying and Fluffing

Feathers are dried and tumbled to restore their natural loft. This is the step that separates a lifelike bird from a flat, matted one.

05

Mounting and Feather Setting

The skin is fitted to a custom form, then wings, tail and individual feather groups are pinned and set until the bird holds a natural, anatomically correct attitude.

06

Airbrushing and Habitat

Bills, feet, legs and fleshy areas are airbrushed back to life color, then the bird is set into the habitat base, water scene, driftwood or wall panel you chose.

Bird Taxidermy Pricing

Standard bird mount pricing at both Wisconsin studios. Custom habitat bases, water scenes, multi-bird groupings and full dioramas are quoted individually.

Ducks$575
Upland Birds — Pheasant, Grouse, Woodcock$575
Eiders / Scoters$675
Doves$675
Snow / Blue / Specklebelly / Ross / Brant$675
Canada Goose$800
Turkey (any pose)$1,400
Cranes$1,650
Swans$2,000

Turkey breast, wing, tail and beard displays start at $350 — see the turkey taxidermy page. Every species we mount is listed on our full price list.

USDA-Approved for International Bird Imports

Stehling’s is a federally licensed USDA-approved import facility (W10015) for restricted avian species — a credential very few taxidermy studios in the country hold. Importing birds into the United States requires a federally approved facility on the receiving end; without one, customs has no choice but to hold or destroy the shipment.

Our designation lets us legally receive your birds, run them through the required quarantine and clearance, and move them straight into our workflow under one roof — no middle handler, no re-shipping, no risk of damage between agents. If you are planning an international hunt, talk to us before you book, while there is still time to fix the paperwork.

Import RequirementsShipping Instructions

Bird Taxidermy Questions

How much does a bird mount cost?
Ducks and most upland birds — pheasant, grouse, partridge and woodcock — are $575. Eiders, scoters and doves are $675, as are snow, blue, specklebelly, Ross and brant geese. A Canada goose is $800, wild turkey $1,400 in any pose, cranes $1,650 and swans $2,000. Custom habitat bases, water scenes, multi-bird groupings and full dioramas are quoted individually — the complete list is on our pricing page.
What poses can you do for a bird mount?
Flying, flushing, standing, swimming, strutting, gobbling and dead-mount poses are all available, along with wall-mounted birds, habitat-based table pieces and multi-bird groupings. Browse the pose pages above to see finished examples, and we will help you choose the one that suits your space.
How long does bird taxidermy take?
Turnaround varies by season and by how much habitat work the piece involves. Contact us with the details of your bird and we will give you an accurate timeframe for your project.
How should I care for my bird in the field?
Handle the bird as little as possible, keep the feathers smooth and dry, and do not field dress it. Tuck the head under a wing, slide the bird into a nylon stocking or a plastic bag, and freeze it whole as soon as you can. Our field care guide covers this in more detail, and you are always welcome to call before you head out.
Can I ship my bird to you?
Yes. Hunters send us birds from across the country every season. Freeze the bird solid, pack it properly and follow our shipping instructions before you send anything so it arrives in the condition you left it in.
Can you mount a bird I harvested outside the United States?
Yes. Stehling’s is a federally licensed USDA-approved import facility (W10015) for restricted avian species, which means we can legally receive, clear and mount birds harvested abroad. Contact us well before you travel so the paperwork is right — incorrect forms are the most common reason birds are confiscated at customs. We also have a dedicated guide to importing turkeys from Mexico.
Do you build full dioramas and museum displays?
Yes. Alongside single-bird mounts we produce custom bird groupings and full-scale dioramas for collectors, museums and nature centers. Tell us the space you are working with and we will design around it.
Where are your taxidermy studios located?
Every bird is mounted in-house at one of our two Wisconsin studios: our Jefferson studio in south-central Wisconsin and our New Franken studio in the Green Bay area. Stehling’s Taxidermy has been family-owned and operated since 1978.

Recent Bird Work

A cross-section of duck, goose, swan and turkey mounts from our Wisconsin studios. The complete galleries live on the waterfowl, upland bird and turkey pages.

Let’s build your bird mount

Fifty years of bird work, two Wisconsin studios and a federal avian import license behind every piece. Tell us what you have and we will tell you exactly what it takes.

Get a Free QuoteCall (920) 650-7800