I really liked this exercise. I just started and learned as I went. And I was surprised how well it turned out. I am a long time birder, so I have a pretty good 'feel' for the shape of particular bird species. That really helped.
The hardest part was the wings: getting the flow of the feathers right and getting the shading right to show contrasting patterns.
The head was easiest because of the consistent colouring.
Drawing this bird helped me see the different textures and colours of the bird's body. I will look more carefully at a real bird now!