Perhaps there's unnecessary negative space on the images. Cropping further on the sides will likely not remove any critical image elements and still leave enough breathing room. I don't stick to one image ratio since that approach limits compositions. The shape of the second bird is vertical. As such, I would most likely have framed the photo vertically.
The lack of background blur draws the eye of the viewer to the high-contrast textures and shapes on the background. With most photos, I prefer to have the viewer's attention more drawn to the subject. The spot color effect sometimes makes subjects stand out but also makes images look unrealistic, which to me is off-putting. Besides, the body of the first bird is nearly white so the effect doesn't suit its purpose very well. Great masking though!
