Bird lover's flight of fancy showcased at estate sale

This is the kind of estate you might expect from someone once known to his son's friends as Bird Man.

There are thousands of bird prints and dozens of bird lithographs. There are bird statues, bird posters, bird shirts, bird mugs.

There are owls and eagles. But mostly, there are parrots.

Former Woodland Park Zoo director Jan Roger van Oosten, aka Bird Man, had a particular fancy for the colorful birds, and it shows in what he left behind.

Van Oosten, 71, died on May 1, and his son, Roger, was left to sort through three storage lockers full of stuff.

The art and artifacts, some kitschy, others valuable, now sit in his Montlake garage.

And as Roger picks through the ornithological treasure trove, he is left to contemplate the remains of a passion respected, but not shared.

Estate sale: van Oosten's birds


Where: 2150 E. Hamlin St., in Seattle's Montlake neighborhood

Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. tomorrow

Roger likes birds. He doesn't love them like his dad, who couldn't pass up a set of bird-printed sarongs. Van Oosten even dressed like a bird, with plaid pants and loud ties.

Zoo director from 1971 to 1974, van Oosten had no academic training in zoology or animal husbandry. He inherited his bird lust from his father, who built aviaries and bred their occupants.

Besides Roger, van Oosten had two daughters, Gabrielle and Kara. He is also survived by his wife of 45 years, Marion.

"My dad didn't care about value. It was only what the bird looked like," Roger said, picking through a weathered cardboard box.

He held a brass bird head, which could be a letter-holder, but he's not really sure.

"What is that?" he asked himself incredulously before moving on to bird glassware and a set of bird salt-and-pepper shakers.

Not content with merely purchasing bird prints, van Oosten commissioned artists to paint his favorite species, and then purchased the entire run. There are 300 prints of the same parrot, each with its own certificate.

"It's the depth of his craziness," Roger said.

When someone with a passion dies, their kin is often left with a lifetime accumulation of the object of their loved one's desire. Beer steins. Bottle caps. Baseball cards.

As Roger considers the contents of the garage, he relishes the memory of his father and doesn't lament all the money spent.

"These things brought him a measure of joy. I thought, 'What a lucky guy.' I don't know many people who had that overriding passion."

The stuff goes on sale tomorrow, priced from $2 to $15.

But don't look for the loud ties. Roger will keep those.

Alex Fryer: 206-464-8124 or afryer@seattletimes.com