Finished drawing of a scissor tailed flycatcher

Watch it draw itself · tap to replay

How to Draw a Scissor Tailed Flycatcher

13 steps · Medium · about 10 min

Draw a scissor tailed flycatcher 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: round head.

Step 1: Round head
On the left, near the top, draw a big round head, a little wider than tall.
Tip Leave lots of room on the right for the very long tail.
Step 2: Tiny beak
Start on the front of the head, halfway down. Draw a tiny fat triangle beak, back to the head.
Step 3: One big eye
Behind the beak draw a big round eye. Add a black dot with a white speck.
Step 4: Plump body
Start behind the head and curve down to the rump. Swing round a fat belly, up to the chin.
Tip The body is a plump egg, narrower than the head.
Step 5: Long scissor tail
From the rump draw 2 very long thin tail feathers, open like scissors, joined at a notch.
Tip The tail is longer than the whole bird. Make both feathers the same length.
Step 6: Pointed wing
Start under the head and draw a teardrop wing pointing back past the rump to a sharp point.
Step 7: Pink side line
Start on the front edge of the wing. Draw 1 curve down to the bottom of the tummy.
Tip Behind this line the tummy will be pink.
Step 8: Front leg and toes
Start on the tummy near the front. Draw a thin leg down, 3 chubby toes, back up to the tummy.
Tip The toes curl down, ready to grip the branch: 2 forward, 1 back.
Step 9: Back leg and toes
A thumb behind the first leg, start on the tummy and draw another leg and toes, back up to it.
Step 10: The branch
From the left edge draw a branch, with a small twig, hopping over the toes, round the end and back.
Step 11: Peach pink sides
Colour the tummy behind the curve peach pink. Leave the chest and the eye white.
Step 12: Grey head, brown branch
Colour the head and the strip of back above the wing light grey. Colour the branch brown, around the toes.
Step 13: Dark wing and tail
Colour the wing, the long tail, the tiny beak and both legs dark grey.