A Metal Bird I Found Digging in the Garden - Any Clues?

Hello everyone - I was moving hostas today from my yard to the yard next door (we're rehabbing the house next door). In the process my hand trowel hit metal and up came this bird. I'm pretty sure it's a cardinal. It measures 5 7/8" from beak to tail and about 4 3/4" tall. It has remnants of green paint in a few spots. The hole on the bottom goes in about an 1 1/4" although it may still have dirt in it. The hole is not threaded. Otherwise the bird appears solid. Don't know if it's relevant but the house dates to about 1890. Any help on age or usage would be much appreciated.
Don

 

looks a lot more like a robin......part of an old fence post ????..maybe....

It's way cool !

 

That is so cool!! I love it!

 

I was thinking fence topper too. I'd oil it to keep it from rusting any further and mount it somehow.

I'd guess bluebird, since I can see traces of blue paint.

 

I love the lines of it . What a great find !

 

Wonder if was some kind of sprinkler head??

 

I thought of that but the only hole is on the bottom.

I may try and find a metal rod I could mount it on and put it in the garden.

 

A bluebird as a fence topper or in a garden setting would be quite striking and could convey to all passersby that the "blue bird of happiness" resides on that property.

 

Ditto. Could the two curved branches be nozzles? Those branches look a little out-of-place for any decorative touch, but would be quite appropriate if nozzles of a sprinkler. Old figurative lawn sprinklers were collectible last time I checked. Base must be missing.

 

Yes - tail is upright!!!

 

Lightning rod?

 

Probably not a "Rain Bird" maybe a fountain or faucet decoration?

 

Maybe a blackbird decoy. As everyone knows, a proper pie requires 24, and ever since the price of a pocketful of rye went over sixpence (this occurred in January 1937) bakers have sought a more efficient way of gathering blackbirds at pie-making time.

 

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

The Spirit World gave you that bird!
Lucky you!

EDIT
I love ya, Mr. Spring! Thanks for the details...

 

OMG!

http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-07-16/there-was-real-recipe-four-and-twenty-blackbirds-baked-pie

"You made an enormous pie crust that had a wooden scaffolding inside, so it was in effect baked hollow. Then you cut a trapdoor in the bottom, you put live birds in the pie, cracked open the top, and the birds would come fluttering out through the dining room.

"This was the sort of thing that medieval diners loved!"

 

Great find, Don! A whole lot better than what I usually find - rocks, random bricks, more rocks.

I did once find a quarter that had been in the ground long enough that all the shiny surface has disappeared.

 

Same bird, different branch?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/240789763/vintage-cast-iron-bird-figurine

 

AMAZINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG!
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BOOOOOOYAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I honestly thought that I'd click on this thread, and find video footage of a stainless steel robotic flamingo digging for worms in the flowerbeds.

I am EXTREMELY disappointed.