LEGO Reviews Ideas21301

Birds

Name: LEGO Birds 21301
Brand: LEGO
SKU: 21301
Rating: 4.78 (76 reviews)

90 · HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDINVESTMENT GRADE: AA2015580 pcsHigh agreement · 89%

Expert reviews

2analyzed

Owner ratings

Consensus

BUY

BrickScore

Highly Recommended

Owners

Synthesized Verdict

"With a BrickScore of 89.6 and 96% of 76 owner reviewers recommending it, LEGO Birds is one of the most acclaimed Ideas sets of its era: a genuine art object built with sculptural techniques that have no parallel in the standard retail catalog, and a must-have for adult collectors and nature enthusiasts."

Reviewers universally celebrate LEGO Birds (21301) as a boundary-pushing Ideas set that functions more as sculptural art than a traditional toy, praising its three-dimensional construction techniques as unlike anything else in the retail LEGO catalog at the time. Jay's Brick Blog awarded it a perfect score, calling it a landmark moment for original, non-licensed fan designs reaching store shelves. Owner sentiment is equally enthusiastic: 76 LEGO.com buyers average 4.78 out of 5 stars, with 96% saying they would recommend it and a value-for-money score of 4.6 out of 5.

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LOVED (8)

01Stunning display quality; all three birds praised as conversation-piece showpieces
02Ingenious three-dimensional building techniques using SNOT, ball joints, clips, and angled elements that challenge standard stacking approaches
03Vibrant color palette and accurate bird representations for the Robin, Blue Jay, and Hummingbird
04Premium instruction booklets with designer profile and ornithological background for each bird
05Printed tiles bearing each bird's scientific Latin name on its display stand
06Blue Jay's articulated wings with pivot movement
07Hummingbird's optical-illusion wing effect that suggests motion
08Original, non-licensed fan-designed concept as an Ideas breakthrough

CRITICIZED (5)

01Robin's tail appears flat and overly rectangular from the back, giving a primitive look
02Robin's stand is slightly wobbly under the model's weight
03Blue Jay's legs look off due to exposed blue Technic pins
04Hummingbird's head reads as a little robotic because it lacks printed eyes
05No playability to speak of; strictly a display set, which disappoints buyers expecting traditional play value

What reviewers are saying

"2015's first LEGO Ideas set, LEGO Birds showed up on my doorstep late last week and I couldn't wait to tear into the set."

Jay's Brick Blog

"Three fairly substantial models are included, and all three look great, although the Robin is by far my favourite personally, probably because we often see these flying around here in the UK at this time of year."

Brickset Reviews

Ecosystem

Research Institute (LEGO Ideas) — Both are original non-licensed Ideas concepts. Reviewer states: 'Like the Research Institute, whenever an original non-licensed idea makes it through, it sends a positive assurance to builders...' and 'Like the Research Institute, as soon as I was done with Birds I immediately wanted a sequel.'

Ecto-1, Exo Suit (LEGO Ideas) — All part of the remarkable LEGO Ideas pedigree. Reviewer notes: 'The pedigree of LEGO Ideas has been nothing short of remarkable, with modern classics such as Brent Waller's Ecto-1, Peter Reid's Exo Suit and Dr. Ellen Kooijman's Research Institute delighting LEGO fans with innovative builds, original designs and pop culture reimagined into LEGO sets.'

IdeasTier 3Investment Grade

By Reviewer · 2

Avg score

Consensus

BUY

Jay's Brick Blog

Editorial Source

100

BUY

"2015's first LEGO Ideas set, LEGO Birds showed up on my doorstep late last week and I couldn't wait to tear into the set."

Key Pros

✓Birds looks awesome on display
✓Very interesting models that are unlike any other LEGO sets
✓Is more a piece of art than toy

Key Cons

✕Robin's tail looks 'flat, and overly rectangular' from the back; 'primitive look' with 'squarish shape of the plates'
✕Robin's branch/stand is 'a little wobbly, which is a minor irritant'

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Brickset Reviews

Editorial Source

BUY

Key Pros

✓Robin and Blue Jay are excellently designed and detailed display models
✓Advanced SNOT building techniques provide engaging builds
✓Natural appearance achieved through color blocking on Robin

Key Cons

✕Hummingbird looks strange and significantly smaller beside the other two birds
✕Hummingbird lacks detail compared to Robin and Blue Jay

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Dimensional Analysis

Investment Layer

Buy now (1)Wait for sale (0)

Exclusivity

Jay's Brick Blog: Exclusive to LEGO.com at time of review (2015)

Brickset Reviews: LEGO Ideas exclusive

Resale

Jay's Brick Blog: Not explicitly stated, but strong display appeal and unique status as first original non-licensed Ideas set suggests potential collector premium.

Minifigures & Standout Parts

Standout parts (per reviewers)

Cheese slopes (various colors including dark green)
Used cleverly throughout to create textured, feathery appearance on all three birds; 'the clever use of cheese slopes and tiles to create the Robin's textured appearance, especially around its head' and 'the clever use of cheese slops to give it a bit of shape and definition' on the Hummingbird
Printed tiles with scientific names
Each bird sits on base with printed tile showing scientific name; reviewer notes 'I think is a cool little touch'
Ball joints
Used on Blue Jay wings to allow slight swivel and angle: 'The wings have a slight detached angle to them accomplished by ball joints, which allow them to be swivelled around slightly'
Technic pins and parts
Used for Blue Jay legs: 'mostly constructed out of Technic parts' creating stable perch though reviewer notes 'the exposed blue Technic pins' look 'off' to him
Clear piece
Used to suspend Hummingbird above flower: 'The use of a clear piece to prop up the Hummingbird is a really nice touch as well as it makes it seem like the Hummingbird is buzzing around unsupported by anything'
Dark green tentacle pieces
Used as effective flower stem; a common MOC technique not previously seen in an official LEGO set

What Owners Say · summarized from 50 written reviews (LEGO, Amazon, Walmart)

Owners love the LEGO Birds set as a stunning display piece with creative building techniques, though some note the stands are wobbly and playability is limited.

COMMON PRAISE