About Metalbird
Who we are, where we came from, and what this flying art project is really about.
What is Metalbird?
Metalbird is both a global art project and a sculpture brand. We make life-sized bird silhouettes from Corten® weathering steel (70%+ recycled), designed to age beautifully outdoors. It began in 2009 as guerrilla street art in a Kiwi backyard and has
Who started Metalbird? Who's Phil?
Metalbird was started by Phil Walters, an industrial designer from Auckland, New Zealand, in 2009. Bored with corporate life and inspired by his late wife’s artistic energy, Phil began creating life-sized steel bird silhouettes and installing them ar
Is Metalbird an art project or a brand?
Both. And that’s the point. Metalbird is the world’s largest outdoor art installation made of corten steel. What is the Metalbird Art Project?. The Metalbird Art Project started with a street installation in New Zealand and took flight around the wor
Where are Metalbirds made?
Right here in the UK. Every Metalbird is proudly made local. That means if you buy British, your bird is crafted in the UK (in a small family-owned factory in Essex, actually!). We work with small, family-owned factories in each market, keeping jobs
Are Metalbirds environmentally friendly?
Yes. And not in a greenwashed, “stick-a-leaf-logo-on-it” kind of way. We design for longevity, cut waste where we can, and partner with organisations doing the heavy lifting for birds and the planet. Made to last: Every Metalbird is cut from premium
Do You Support Bird Conservation?
Yes — with real partners and real impact. In the UK, we proudly partner with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the largest nature conservation charity in Britain. We contribute a portion of proceeds from select Metalbirds to RSPB’