The World Wildlife Fund in Spain is currently running an origami challenge in order to help protect migratory birds in Spain.

Doñana National Park in Spain is one of the most important sites for migratory birds in all of Europe. Every year six million birds visit this park and they rely on its wetland to survive on their yearly journey across of Europe.

The Spanish government currently has river dredging plans that threaten Doñana National Park and its wetlands. The WWF has until December 1, 2016 to convince the Spanish government to cancel their plans.

Just like the Elephant Origami Challenge the WWF is asking as many people as possible to fold origami birds and share a photo on social media with the hashtag #OrigamiMigration.

They’re also putting together a large piece of artwork in the streets of Madrid using the origami birds that people mail in. If you’d like your bird to be part of this artwork you can mail it to:

Freepost RTGL-XRZU-HHEZ
WWF-UK
The Living Planet Centre
Brewery Road
WOKING
GU21 4LL

You can learn more about the origami migration here:

http://assets.wwf.org.uk/custom/stories/origamimigration/

In the spirit of the #OrigamiMigration here are 24 beautiful migratory origami birds from some of my favourite origami artists.

I’m pretty certain most of these are technically migratory birds although it’s possible one or two non-migratory birds might have also slipped into this post as well.

Starting out here are two great origami cranes.

2 Beautiful Standing Paper Cranes
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/origami_vilkas/8101032471/

Cranes, Designed by James Minoru Sakoda and Folded by Agnieska (Agne) Mackonyte

Diagrams available in Modern Origami

 

Here’s a beautiful group of origami birds taking off for their own migration.

Flock of Colourful Birds by Edgar
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/edg82/15226135369/

Birds, Designed and Folded by Edgar

Instructions not available

 

Seth Friedman designed a fantastic origami duck.

Duck by Seth Friedman
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/72702384@N08/22255276405/

Duck, Designed by Seth Friedman and Folded by Sérgio Queiroz

Diagrams available in the 2015 Origami USA Convention book

 

Here’s a very complex looking paper crane. I’m pretty sure the entire model is one sheet of paper.

Incredible Papercraft Crane
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/64192382@N02/16083240229/

Crane, Designed and Folded by 驰 张

Instructions not available

 

This dancing crane design is definitely one of my favourite origami bird designs.

Dancing Crane by Roman Diaz
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/128237813@N06/27098433062/

Dancing Crane, Designed by Roman Diaz and Folded by Malleon

Video instructions available from Jo Nakashima’s YouTube channel

 

Here’s a really awesome paper loon with some fantastic colour changes.

Common Loon Folded by Gonzalo
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/79001419@N06/11148271604/

Loon, Designed by Artur Biernacki and Folded by Gonzalo

Diagrams available in Polish Your Origami

 

Here’s an excellent origami heron.

Heron by Sebastien Limet (sebl)
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/papygami/6893208879/

Heron, Designed by Sebastien Limet and Folded by Luc MARNAT

Diagrams available in Pajarita Magazine #118

 

Wild pigeons are apparently a type of migratory bird. I’m not sure how wild this pigeon is but it is a fantastic design.

Blue Bar Pigeon by Seth Friedman
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/inqorigami/2221259707/

Blue Bar Pigeon, Designed and Folded by Seth Friedman

Crease pattern available from Pajarita.org

 

Seth Friedman has also designed a cute little origami duckling.

Paper Duckling Folded by Seth Friedman
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/inqorigami/29262404312/

Duckling, Designed and Folded by Seth Friedman

Video instructions available from Seth Friedman’s YouTube channel

 

Here’s another great dancing crane.

Dancing Crane by Roman Diaz
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/edg82/8473268988/

Crane, Designed by Roman Diaz and Folded by Edgar

Video instructions available from Jo Nakashima’s YouTube channel

 

I really like the colouring on the paper used for this origami woodpecker.

Okinawa Woodpecker by Kei Watanabe
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/145614922@N07/30076028536/

Okinawa Woodpecker, Designed and Folded by Kei Watanabe

Instructions not available

 

This cute little bird might technically not be a migratory bird but it probably is.

Little Bird by Satoshi Kamiya
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/edg82/13898819914/

Little Bird, Designed by Satoshi Kamiya and Folded by Edgar

Diagrams available in Works of Satoshi Kamiya 2, 2002 – 2009

 

Here’s a great little origami goose out in the wild.

Paper Goose Folded by Daniel Chang
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/28744631@N06/7628307706/

Goose, Designed and Folded by Daniel Chang

Instructions not available

 

Here’s a beautiful singing paper cardinal.

Singing Cardinal by Roman Diaz
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexkrup/8707986074/

Singing Cardinal, Designed by Roman Diaz and Folded by Alexander Krupnikov

Diagrams available in Origami Essence

 

Here’s Satoshi Kamiya’s cute little bird again.

Little Bird by Satoshi Kamiya
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/126871950@N04/29083991081/

Little Bird, Designed by Satoshi Kamiya and Folded by Ivan Svatko

Diagrams available in Works of Satoshi Kamiya 2, 2002 – 2009

 

Here’s Seth Friedman’s great little duckling design again.

Seth Friedman's Duckling
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/marianozavala-origami/29848619510/

Duckling, Designed by Seth Friedman and Folded by Mariano Zavala B.

Video instructions available from Seth Friedman’s YouTube channel

 

This next image is a very impressive model as the entire thing including the chimney and the bird is all folded from the same sheet of paper!

Chimney Sweep Bird by Sebastien Limet
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/-sebl-/14071940001/

Chimney Sweep, Designed and Folded by Sebastien Limet

Instructions not available

 

Here’s another beautiful paper crane.

Standing Crane by Terry Nicolas
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/79606072@N00/24433288575/

Crane, Designed and Folded by Terry Nicolas

Diagrams available in Drawing Origami Tome 1

 

I’m not entirely sure what species of bird this is but it’s probably migratory and definitely looks fantastic.

Yellow Flying Bird by Terry Nicolas
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/79606072@N00/24844232033/

Yellow Flying Bird, Designed and Folded by Terry Nicolas

Instructions not available

 

Sparrow’s are apparently a type of migratory bird according to my research and this is a very cute sparrow. This design could also easily double as an origami Pidgey.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow by Jhon Doe
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/126863951@N02/26218759154/

Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Designed and Folded by Jhon Doe

Crease pattern available from Jhon Doe’s Flickr

 

Here’s Roman Diaz’s excellent paper cardinal again.

Papercraft Cardinal Folded by Luc Marnat
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/papygami/6077583822/

Cardinal, Designed by Roman Diaz and Folded by Luc MARNAT

Diagrams available in Origami Essence

 

Here’s a different sparrow design that’s also quite cute.

Paper Sparrow by Roman Diaz
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/papygami/6077095819/

Sparrow, Designed by Roman Diaz and Folded by Luc MARNAT

Diagrams available in Origami for Interpreters

 

Sipho Mabona has designed a really excellent swallow that’s not too difficult to fold.

Swallow Designed by Sipho Mabona
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/79001419@N06/8166857898/

Swallow, Designed by Sipho Mabona and Folded by Gonzalo

Photo diagrams available from the Origami Forum

 

Our final model for this post is this beautiful and incredible paper crane. I’m fairly certain that the entire model is folded from just one sheet of paper.

Incredibly Realistic Paper Crane
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/64192382@N02/9847401683/

Designed and Folded by 驰 张

Instructions not available

 

That’s it for this post. If you decide to participate in the Origami Migration please also post your photos in our comments so we can take a look and remember that the official hashtag to use if you upload your photos to social media is #OrigamiMigration.

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