How We Work
What to Expect When Working With Us
Whether it is the bird you have dreamed of for years, an unexpected rarity, a child's first duck, or the loss of a beloved companion, some memories deserve to be preserved with the same care and respect that made them meaningful in the first place.
At Aix, we guide each commission from the first conversation to the finished piece, combining personalized attention, careful planning, and transparent communication at every stage of the process. Here are the basics of what you can expect when working with us.
First Contact & Specimen Care
Feathers are composed of delicate, intricately interconnected microstructures. Rough handling, dirt, blood, grease, and other contaminants can disrupt these structures, sometimes causing irreversible damage to the plumage. A bird intended for taxidermy must therefore be handled with particular care from the very beginning.
The first hours after a bird's death are critical to preserving its skin and plumage in the best possible condition. When you first contact us, we provide clear, practical instructions on how to prepare and protect your bird, including proper cooling or freezing, to give it the best possible foundation for the work ahead.
Your bird is precious to us. From the moment it enters our studio to its final installation in your home, we make your peace of mind a priority.
Intake & Condition Assessment
After our initial conversation and mutual agreement to work together, we will schedule an appointment for drop-off at our studio. If you are located farther away, we will guide you through the safe shipping of frozen specimens.
If the bird is fresh, we will carefully inspect it upon arrival for damage, immature plumage, feather loss, or other conditions that may affect the final appearance of the mount.
For birds arriving frozen, a thorough inspection will be conducted after thawing. Should we identify any issues that may compromise the final appearance, we will notify you by email or text before proceeding. Alternative poses or other solutions may then be discussed.
Migratory birds must be accompanied by the appropriate federal tag. You can download it here and print it yourself, or we can provide one at drop-off.
Taking the Best Out of Your Bird
We want to hear the story behind your bird: how you collected it, the habitat it came from, and how you would like the whole experience to be represented. If it was your companion for years, we would love to hear what made it special and how you would like to remember it. These details help us guide you through the pose, attitude, and final presentation we consider would best complement your bird and turn it into a beautiful piece of art.
Pictures provided by you are always welcome, as they help us better understand your vision: the place, the bird, the moments of joy associated with it. If you already have a clear vision of how you would like it to be represented, you can certainly provide references that can work as a starting point.
When it comes to the definitive pose, we have a wide selection of reference images classified by species and poses that guides our work and can help you as well to choose a pose for your bird.
Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus (Linnaeus, 1758), represented eating a young Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792). Every element of this piece was custom-made, including the hand-sculpted fish, recreated from a specimen found in the bird’s esophagus.
Some conditions would only lead to a result that neither you nor we would want.
What is Recommended
Technically, almost any bird can be mounted. However, the condition of the specimen greatly influences both the final result and the amount of work required to achieve it.
At Aix, we take great pride in what we do and strive to recreate every bird as faithfully as possible while honoring your story as you envision it. We hold ourselves to a standard of quality below which we are unwilling to go, both for your satisfaction and for the integrity of our work.
A certain degree of damage can often be addressed effectively through careful repairs, adjustments to the pose, or thoughtful use of habitat elements. However, birds with severe damage, very immature plumage, or in an advanced state of decomposition may present limitations that prevent us from achieving a result consistent with our standards.
Being realistic about what is advisable given the condition of your bird allows us to create a piece you can take pride in from the moment you first see it.
The Mounting Process
Once we have agreed on all aspects of the project, including what is realistically achievable given the condition of your bird, your commission enters our queue. You will receive notifications at key stages, from scheduling and mounting to completion and pickup, giving you ample time to make any necessary arrangements.
When you receive the scheduling notification, if unforeseen circumstances require you to postpone your project, simply let us know. We will be happy to discuss moving your commission further back in our schedule, for up to one year. If you are ready to proceed, we will move forward with the mounting process.
Drying time depends on the size of the bird and environmental conditions, typically ranging from two to four weeks. Higher humidity, especially during the summer months, can extend this period. Once drying is complete, the bird is ready for the finishing touches before going home.
We keep you updated on every major milestone throughout the process.
Complex habitat projects require time and careful planning. Clear communication and well-defined expectations are of paramount importance throughout the process.
Habitat Projects
For projects involving complex habitat bases, we will discuss the general concept and take notes during the initial intake appointment. The details will come later, when we contact you with sketches and design proposals for your consideration. Through this collaborative process, we will refine the concept together until we agree on every aspect of the presentation.
Once the design is approved, we will provide an updated invoice with an estimated cost for the habitat portion of the project.
Each habitat is unique and requires its own planning, materials, and time, making it difficult to provide an exact quote in advance. The actual cost can only be determined once the work is completed. For this reason, the final price may vary slightly from the original estimate, depending on the complexity and amount of work involved.
The Mounting Process
After drying, we proceed with the finishing work, which may include detail painting, feather curling, restoration, and refinement of certain areas as needed.
Once your piece is complete, you will receive a pickup notification. We ask that finished pieces be collected within the designated timeframe, after which a daily late-collection fee may apply. Please refer to our General Policies for details.
Before your bird goes home, we will photograph it for our professional portfolio. You are welcome to request studio photographs of your finished piece to share with family and friends, which we will be happy to provide after pickup.
You want photographs of your bird that do it justice. Don't hesitate to request them from us.
Delivery & Shipping
For clients who live farther away or have limited time to arrange pickup, we can help coordinate the transportation of their finished pieces.
We offer delivery services within Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts (excluding Boston), and New York (east of the Hudson River, excluding Long Island and New York City). Deliveries to other locations may be considered and quoted on a case-by-case basis.
For more distant states, specialized trophy transportation companies may be an option. These companies generally handle the loading and transportation of finished mounts, requiring only a scheduled pickup at our studio. However, they typically operate on routes covering large regions of the country, sometimes returning to a particular area only every few months or even once or twice a year.
If you prefer to receive your bird sooner, you may arrange transportation through a carrier of your choice. Upon request, we can build a reinforced crate to provide additional protection during transit and supply the dimensions and weight needed to obtain a shipping quote.
Custom crating carries an additional fee based on the size and complexity of the project, typically around 30% of the total cost of the piece. For multiple pieces shipped in a single crate or particularly small specimens, such as pet songbirds, this fee may be adjusted.
The Afterward
For Aix, our commitment to each piece does not end when it leaves our studio. We put so much effort into what we do because we want every piece to last for generations, bringing lasting enjoyment to you and a sense of fulfillment to us.
Throughout the taxidermy process, we ensure that every aspect of cleaning and preservation meets the highest standards. However, once your bird leaves our care, it becomes your responsibility to keep it clean and protected from factors that could cause deterioration and shorten its lifespan.
We've got you covered here, too. We will provide guidance on how to care for your piece and remain available to answer any questions you may have.
Your piece is meant to last for generations. It carries a meaning that is personal to you and, to us, something equally remarkable: the success story of a species shaped by millions of years of evolution, now beautifully represented for you to appreciate in the comfort of your home. Mallards, Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758.
Where Natural History Meets Your Own.