Its time to begin to carve the raven's tail feathers on the underside. This is a good example of where my carving stand really helps in positioning the piece so I can carve in a reasonably comfortable position. Though I have spent considerable time carving from a kneeling position, it beats trying to carve while lying on my back!
The arrangement of bird's feathers is quite complex. Things obviously change depending on if the bird has wings folded or in flight, if its tail is fanned out, if it has puffed out its feathers etc. Not having a raven friend willing to model for me, I have to spend a considerable amount of time doing my research in books and on the computer. It helps to have photos printed out which I refer to frequently during the carving process.
Here is a closer view of some of those tail feathers...