Here is the same picture with the green background.  I used a stiff bristle brush to put the oil on the canvas.  Yet, this brush tends to leave very defined brush strokes, which creates a choppy and unfinished look.  I then took an extremely soft brush and ever so lightly went over the entire canvas.  This created a soft blended look and gives the impression of a wooded background.  This blurred look will be a beautiful contrast to the details of the bird.