Oh, I love how you show the feathers in the places where the colors transition! A lot of people will put patterns on their characters/creatures but they don't accommodate of the surface of the creature, and as result it looks so flat, the plumage on your boy here looks really thick and delightful <3 The sunset colors are nice, the lilacs and gold help the blue and white stand out.
AHHH tysm for the critique! I really tried with this piece since it's been so long since I've drawn this boy. Especially since I struggle with backgrounds and depth with anything related. I really do my best when it comes to his markings since theres so much going on with them!
It shows! I think the background came out well, the trees in the distance have great texture. They're far away, but I can tell that they're pines from the variance in tones and how it moves horizontally. Did you use a special brush for them?