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How to Draw a Jabiru

13 steps · Medium · about 10 min

Draw a jabiru in 13 easy steps, about 10 minutes. Free, with a printable worksheet.

Each picture adds one red line. Draw that line, then scroll to the next picture. Rub out any dashed helper lines at the end. First up: small bald head.

Step 1: Small bald head
Near the top, draw a small egg-shaped head. Start at the bottom and stop short, leaving a neck gap.
Step 2: Huge upturned bill
From the front of the head, draw a huge heavy bill out to the left, then back to the chin.
Tip The bill is nearly twice as long as the head, and its tip turns up a little.
Step 3: One big eye
Behind the bill, in the middle of the head, draw a big eye with a black dot and white speck.
Step 4: Long neck
From the gap under the head, draw 2 neck lines down. Stop 2 heads lower, where they curve apart.
Step 5: Neck band
Near the bottom of the neck, draw 2 curved lines from the front neck line to the back one.
Step 6: Big white body
From the back neck line, draw a big egg body round the tail end, back to the front neck line.
Step 7: Folded wing
On the body, draw a long leaf-shaped wing pointing back. Add 2 feather lines up from its bottom edge.
Step 8: Short tail
At the wing tip, start on the body. Draw a short pointed tail and stop back on the body.
Step 9: One long leg
Under the tummy front, draw a long thin leg that bends backwards, with 3 thin toes on the ground.
Tip The bend is the ankle, so it points to the back.
Step 10: The other leg
A hand further back, draw the second leg the same way, with its 3 toes on the ground.
Step 11: Ground and grass
Draw a ground line from the left edge to the right edge, under the toes. Add some grass tufts.
Step 12: Red band
Colour the band at the bottom of the neck red.
Step 13: Black head, bill, legs
Colour the head, neck, bill and both legs black, around the eye. Leave the eye and body white.