The Birdseye phenomenon / appearance can be found in a number different species, but is best known in Maple.

Birdseye are actually scar tissue that develop in the cambium layer, under the bark, as the tree grows.  The scars are caused by birds feeding on insects attracted to the sap within the trees.  As the birds peck to catch the insects and leave tiny wounds under the bark.  And as the tree grows, those wounds heal over resulting in the tiny scar.

As a matter of fact, when you buy Maple logs on the log yard, you’ll see log buyers chip a little bark away from the ends and the middle of the logs.  They do this to see if there are any scars (eye’s) in the cambium layer.

The best way to produce Birdseye Maple is to peel the log on a lathe.  In this way, you are peeling around that scar tissue, which visually accentuates the “eyes”.  The amount or density of birdseye and the placement of them within the log, are completely random.  We have no control over where they are and how they are placed – that’s up to the birds.  In addition, trees with very little to no eyes can be standing next to trees riddled with eyes.  And so it is in nature.