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Animals

Parakeet

An easy traditional bird from the kite shape, with a white head, a short tail and little feet.

  • DifficultyEasy
  • PaperSquare, 15 × 15 cm
  • Steps13
  • About10 min

Why this level: Mostly simple folds to the centre line; only pulling out the inner flap and flattening it needs a little care.

You need: 1 sheet of origami paper

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Story

This little bird is a traditional fold, and nobody knows who first folded it. The Japanese site Origami Club simply calls it tori (“bird”), and origami.me, which calls it a parrot or parakeet, says it is one of the first origami projects Japanese kindergarten children try. Folded from green paper, it looks like a budgerigar, a small parrot that lives wild in Australia.

Did you know? Wild budgerigars are green and yellow. They usually fly in small flocks, but after heavy rains flocks of tens of thousands can gather.

Learn more (external sources)

Steps at a glance

  1. 1. Crease the diagonal

    White side up as a diamond. Fold the left corner to the right corner and unfold.

  2. 2. Kite fold

    Fold the two lower edges to the centre crease. It becomes a coloured kite.

  3. 3. Fold the top triangle behind

    Fold the white top triangle behind along the line through the widest points (mountain fold).

  4. 4. Fold the top corners to the centre

    Fold the top edge on each side down to the centre line. The two corners meet on the centre line.

  5. 5. Unfold the right corner

    Unfold the right corner you just folded. Keep the crease.

  6. 6. Pull out the inside and flatten

    Lift the coloured top layer by its edge on the centre line and pull it down along a slanted line from the centre point. At the same time fold the corner underneath down again on the crease from step 4, so its tip meets the centre point, and flatten.

  7. 7. Repeat on the left

    Unfold the left corner, then pull out the coloured flap and flatten it just like the right.

  8. 8. Fold the flaps up (feet)

    Fold each hanging flap up on a line from the centre point outward, so its lower inner edge meets the crease above. The points stick out to the sides; they become the feet.

  9. 9. Pleat the tail

    Fold the bottom point up, then fold it back down a little higher to make a step. The point faces down again.

  10. 10. Fold in half

    Fold the right half over to the left along the centre line.

  11. 11. Turn it sideways

    Rotate a quarter turn to the left: the folded edge (the back) on top, the white head on the left, the wing tips at the bottom.

  12. 12. Make the beak

    Push the tip of the head down between the layers to make the beak (inside reverse fold).

  13. 13. Stand it up — done

    Stand it on its feet and tail tip. Draw eyes on the white head and your parakeet is done!

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