There are forgers around. Usually it's not a whole bird reproduced, but significant repairs which would affect value. Even if one could carbon date the wood, which is probably unlikely for only decades of precision, nothing is to stop someone from using wood salvaged from a period home, barn, etc. Folks go to great lengths to detect forgeries. The paint used in those days was lead based. Hard to find now, but that wouldn't stop an enterprising thief. There are rarely new "discoveries". The most valuable of the birds have longstanding provenances going back for decades and collectors know who have them. Every now and then a fake will slip through an auction. There are contemporary carvers who duplicate birds with no intent to deceive, but once they get into some other's hands, caveat emptor. Most of the contemporary carvers will engrave their names on the bottom, but not all. Gil
