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Jubilant Songbird
KohlerBird w/ moveable head wings and tail
- Model
- 80
- Type
- Animals
- Topic
- Animals
- Country of manufacture
- Germany
- Mechanism
- Clockwork
- Movement
- Moves head, wings and tail, opens and closes beak, while it blows a tune
- Materials
- Mostly tin
- Dimensions (LxWxH cm)
- 16x7x12
- Condition
- Excellent
- Manufactured
- 1955 – 1965
Research notes
There is a rare version w/ red feet; some versions have the patent no. For England and USA;
Notes
We have another toy that was opened to show mechanism
Featured in
- Bleschspielzeug in Wirtschaftswunder-Land — p. 288
- German Tin Toys after 1945 — p. 186
- Lexicon der Deutschen Blechspielzeug-Industrie — p. 214
- The Art of the Tin Toy — p. 211
How it works

Cam (1) controls the movements of head and tail. It acts on lever (2), which not only makes the head turn sideways and the beak to open/close, but also pushes up or down bar (3), which is attached to a “plug”, thus changing the tune in the whistle (4). Lever (3) is also connected to lever (5), which acts on the tail. The quick rotation of wheel (6) causes the reciprocating movement of bar (7) which is attached to a plug, creating the basic bird’s trill.