I think it is beak to tail. The arrow and direction signs make the height very hood. I have this on our cupola on our garage. The garage is 26'd x 40'w x 20'H (hip roof) and the cupola is a 26"l x 26"w by 39" high. This eagle is the right size for this size cupola. Looks great - spray all parts and eagle with many coats of laquer before you put it up so it doesn't tarnish - unless you like the tarnished look. Grease the top of the rod before you put the eagle on so it will spin easy for years without any wear. It's been up for about 9 months - still looks great. The quality is excellent and the definitions of the wings, tail, etc... are great. Don't get nervous when you first open it and see all the solder joints, it is suppose to be like that. I don't think you will find a better eagle out there. It's a big investment so I hope this helps.
Hello Timone,The eagle and arrow are one piece and should be the only piece moving. The directionals come with set screws that you tighten to the assembly rod to keep them from spinning. Thank you.
As others have said, Copper and Brass do not rust. However, they do patina. Copper does not stay shiny unless you spray a clear finish on it. I would not recommend spraying any finish on a weathervane. This weathervane is very high quality. The copper will weather, ( patina ) depending on your weather conditions.
yes and they age very nicely.i have had mine just over a year and it is now starting to turn,and really looks nice.you can staop the tarnish but you have to do that when you receive it.you would have to spray it with clear spray .i wanted mine to tarnish with my age.