Birds 5

Birds 5—unlike the preceding groupings, which explore tilings composed of various tiles within a theme—focuses exclusively on tessellations based on a single tile: the Greek cross. This also includes variations where the tile is subdivided.

While the Greek cross has a relatively simple outline, it remains highly suitable for a bird motif. However, its aesthetic quality is somewhat constrained—for instance, the bird’s bill lacks clear definition due to the necessity of conforming to the tile’s shape; contrast this with other examples, say, Birds 1. Nevertheless, despite these inherent limitations, the resulting motif is visually appealing and merits inclusion.

Although this tile might initially seem somewhat restrictive, it actually offers considerable room for creative exploration. The examples below illustrate just a small fraction of its potential, largely owing to the Greek cross’s two symmetry types: rotation and reflection. This allows for varied placements of the motif, leading to diverse arrangements, as well as colour possibilities. The examples provided serve as a representative selection rather than an exhaustive analysis of all possible configurations.

The 'placement' of the motif is shown in the simplest way, of an identical orientation, namely as a translation. However, even within this presentation, there is variation, as two distinct views of the bird are shown, of 'belly' and 'back', shown alternatively in 'lines' of the same colour.
Colouration: Although two colours would have sufficed, for the sake of variety, three are used. These are shown in 'sloping strips'. 

The plainest possible presentation; translated, all of a single view (belly, compare with No. 1), and simplest two colouring, without variation.
Colouration: A complementary colour scheme is chosen; blue and orange.

The premise is of rotation, with birds meeting beak to beak (180°), tail to tail (180°), and wing to wing (90°), with all the birds in a belly view.

Colouration. Two complementary colours, yellow and violet, are used.

The birds appear in the simplest presentation, of a single orientation, and of belly view.
Colouration. A more involved colouring scheme is given, of three colours, with further subtleties. Each bird is divided in two along a central line, withing a three-coloure scheme, giving red/yellow, blue/yellow, blue/red combinations, chosen for being as far apart on the colour wheel as possible (red, yellow, and blue) all suitably ‘balanced’, with each colour repeated six times. Also, see No. 5 for a variation on the theme 

The birds appear in two orientations, are both upright, and both belly views.
Colouration. A more involved colouring scheme is given, of three colours, with further subtleties. Each bird is divided in two along a central line, giving red/green, yellow/green, red/yellow combinations, all suitably ‘balanced'; each colour is repeated six times. Also see No. 4 for another instance of the colouring theme. 

It will be seen that it is possible to subdivide the Greek cross tile into another tile that also resembles a bird, and so here I combine both possibilities. Again, there are multiple possibilities of arrangement and colour. Both birds are shown in two orientations, at 180° to each other.
Colouration. A three-colour scheme is chosen for both birds: violet, brown, and green.
Also see No. 7 for a variation of the theme. 

The same basic premise (subdivision) as with No. 6 is applied here, except this time I show the birds in four orientations while retaining the three colours.
Colouration. A three-colour scheme is chosen for both birds: violet, brown, and green. Also see No. 6 for a variation of the theme. 

5 June 2025. Updated text from Classic Sites, which was mostly sadly lacking; inexplicably, aside from the introductory text, only No. 1 had commentary!