At last, we get to see one of your bird paintings! So now I know that you can do it! Let's address some of those points.
1) Lack of talent - you have got to be joking, you are very talented. You may confuse finding a way of incorporating birds as subject matter into your methods as a lack of talent, because the results won't at first be what you want. You'll find your way, lose your way, change direction and get frustrated but also you'll learn new things, see new things, surprise yourself, shock yourself etc etc. My advice is paint, worry later!
2) Photography is a cop out. No, I don't agree. Photography is a valid form of art, and your photos are beautiful. Painting birds wouldn't mean that photos are now obsolete, you would simply be adding another string to your bow.
3) Lack of patience. I don't think you need patience especially, often it's useful, but rarely necessary. I hardly have any patience for painting, I have an image in my head, and I want it on the paper straight away. Find shortcuts, birds feathers are rarely convincing if treated individually, they form masses and patterns.
I'm going to stop before I end up writing a novel, but I hope that somewhere in all this text there are a few helpful tips and a great big push of encouragement. Seriously, have a go at birds, if you're not pleased with it at first, don't give up. You have nothing to prove to anyone and I honestly think you're going to surprise yourself, be true to bright, loose colours and tonal range (!) and paint.
