Tat-Tuesday: The best bird tattoos ever

By Fusion Staff | March 10, 2015 | 6:25pm

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It’s that time of week again: Tattoosday — where we show you our favorite ink, permanent and temporary. This week’s theme: Put a bird on it!

If a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, then a permanently etched bird on your flesh must be worth at least a scroll and a share.

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Here’s some of our favorite feathered art:

The Sketchy Blue Bird
The lines on this foot tattoo are delicate and artful. It looks like it was drawn with colored pencil and also looks like something we’d hang on our wall if our foot was for some reason unavailable.

The Rainbow Geometric Cardinal
We are huge fans of Sasha Unisex’s work. She has mastered the use of highly-pigmented inks and her geometric-heavy style brings a refreshing update to tattoo artistry.

The Shoulder Robin
The detail on this robin red breast piece is incredible, and fits perfectly on her shoulder. She has a matching one on the other side, too.

The Outline-Free Flamingo
We’re loving this minimalist flamingo. The lack of dark outlines means this tattoo looks cleaner and more artistic than many of its more traditional friends.

The Well-Lined Bird Half-Sleeve
This tattoo is graphically impressive, easily visible or invisible based on the cut of your shirt, and all-around well done. Just look at all the swirls!

The Impressive Peacock Sleeve
This “all black everything” peacock sketch is wonderful. The detail on the feathers is spot on, and it wraps her arm nicely. Who needs the zoo when you can just get this sleeve and look in the mirror?

The Tiny Colorful Homage
The cute award goes to this sweet, small, colorful bird ink. Just look at the beak! Ahhhh, look at it!

The Big Ass Parrot Sleeve
The scarlet macaw is one of the most iconic birds IRL thanks in part to its incredibly colorful physique. Loving the rich colors in this piece, too. ❤️

The Tea Time Raven
We don’t dislike outlines at all, especially when done well. The lines on the raven are so small but straight that they almost resemble tree rings. And the tea cup is just adorable. ☕️

The Thigh Owl
Owls are a little bit spooky. They just are! Huge eyes. Only being around at night. That creepy “whoo” thing they do. Somehow this piece makes them a little more tolerable, and cute, even.

The Bold Back Bird
The dripping detail on this bird has us over here! Not only is the bird impressive stylistically, but the drips that make this piece look like it was ripped directly from a talented painter’s canvas makes it especially unique.

The Starry Night Swan
Swans may be the most majestic of all the birds. We can’t exactly qualify that, but just look at their features! The long elegant necks and big buoyant bodies complete with thick plumes. Have mercy! Pair those stunning features with the night sky and you’ve got a permanent reminder that you went to the right tattoo artist.

And for you commitment-phobes, here are some temporary tats of the avian variety:

Hawk Feather Set: 2 for $5
None of us can fly, but we all wish we could. This feather takes away some of the sting associated with being land-bound.

Pigeon Tattoos: NYC set $15
There are few things more New York-y than smelly pigeons that aren’t afraid of humans. These tats make them marginally more tolerable.

Skateboarding Sandpiper: 2 for $5
Gotta be honest, I had never heard of a sandpiper before now, but they’re pretty darling, aren’t they? And imagine a bird skateboarding. That would be the most viral video, ever.

Akilah Hughes is a comedian, YouTuber, and staff writer and producer for Fusion’s culture section. You can almost always find her waxing poetic about memes and using too many emojis.