Birds of Prey of the World (A Collection)

After the last few field-guide inspired panels, I got started on my largest undertaking yet in my 10+ years of exploring birds and painting. I have long wanted to take my love for field guide artwork and layout a large collection of species on one panel. 

My father hand crafted for me this massive (compared to my usual 16×20”) 30” x 40” panel. He handed it off to me in December of 2021 and I began selecting and doing the layout math. 

When selecting the species for this project I came up with a number of species from every continent that birds of prey are found on, that being all but Antarctica. 

It came out to 114 species of birds in all.  

22 hawks from the Accipiter Genus,

26 hawks from the Buteo genus,

27 species of falcons,

18 species of eagles,

9 species of snake-eagles,

6 species of harriers,

5 species of Kites,

And one Osprey. 

I began the pencil work in the first week of February and painting began at the end of March. Then over the course of the following months with acrylic paint I brought to life on the panel all 114 species. 

To call the process a learning experience is an understatement. I poured through dozens of reference photos and books for each and every bird. Getting to know each one as best as I could. 

It’s not just the colors and look of the birds I was after but rather everything I can find on diet, habitats, and range. 

My biggest take away is how connected the world is through its birds. 

The Eleonora’s falcon you watched hunting birds on the shores of a beach in Madagascar today was hunting shore birds in Italy six months ago. (That’s a 4,715 mile flight). 

The Broad-wing hawk you saw in that Canadian forest last summer? It’s spending the winter in Argentina. (A cool 7,085 mile flight). So it stands to reason that habitat loss anywhere in between deeply affects all these birds and their prey animals. 

Aside from all the information I learned about the various species, it was an excellent lesson in patience and enjoying the process. Theres no good way to paint this many species in the detail I want and do it fast.  So I worked slowly and enjoyed the long haul of the undertaking each hour at a time and each feather at a time. 

The mediums I used on this project were pencil, pen, and acrylic paint. 

 

And the master “Who’s Who” list. from left to right:

A: 

Accipiter cooperii, Accipiter striatus, Accipiter gentilis, Accipiter badius, Accipiter ovampensis, Accipiter castanilius, Accipiter melanoleucus, Accipiter minullus, Accipiter tachiro, Accipiter francesiae, Accipiter henstii. 

B:

Accipiter madagascariensis, Accipiter melanochlamys, Accipiter erythrauchen, Accipiter novaehollandiae, Accipiter chionogaster, Accipiter chilensis, Accipiter albogularis, Accipiter poliogaster, Accipiter rufitorques, Accipiter fasciatus, Accipiter trinotatus.

C:

Buteo regalis, Buteo jamaicensis, Buteo lineatus, Parabuteo leucorrhous, Buteo hemilasius, Buteo albonotatus, Buteo ventralis, Buteo platypterus, Buteo albigula, Buteo nitidus, Buteo brachyurus, Buteo lagopus, Rupornis magnirostris.

D:

Buteo augur archeri, Buteo solitarius, Buteo augur, Buteo brachypterus, Buteo auguralis, Buteo swainsoni, Buteo ridgewayi, Buteo poecilochrous, Buteo exsul, Buteo polyosoma, Buteo galapagoensis, Buteo oreophilus, Buteo rufofuscus.

E:

Falco mexicanus, Falco peregrinus, Falco rusticolus, Falco cuvierii, Falco eleonorae, Falco sparverius, Falco cenchroides, Falco ardosiaceus, Falco moluccensis, Falco subbuteo, Falco columbarius, Falco hypoleucos, Falco tinnunculus, Falco concolor

F:

Falco alopex, Falco longipennis, Falco subniger, Falco berigora, Falco chicquera, Falco biarmicus, Falco jugger, Falco cherrug, Falco fasciinucha, Falco femoralis, Falco rufigularis,  Falco deiroleucus, Falco novaeseelandiae

G:

Polemaetus bellicosus, Aquila spilogaster, Hieraaetus pennatus, Hieraaetus ayresii, Aquila africana, Aquila fasciata, Haliaeetus vocifer, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Haliaeetus pelagicus. 

H:

Harpia harpyja, Spizaetus ornatus, Spizaetus tyrannus, Aquila chrysaetos, Aquila verreauxii, Aquila audax, Aquila gurneyi, Aquila nipalensis.

I:

Terathopius ecaudatus, Circaetus cinerascens, Circaetus fasciolatus, Spilornis cheela, Spilornis holospilus, Dryotriorchis spectabilis, Spilornis rufipectus, Eutriorchis astur, Circaetus pectoralis. 

J:

Circus hudsonius, Circus cinereus, Circus maurus, Circus ranivorus, Circus aeruginosus, Circus assimilis, Elanus leucurus, Royrhamus socrabilis, Lophoictinia isura, Gampsonyx swainsonii, Ictina mississippiensis, Pandion haliaetus.

Thank you so much for looking at birds with me.

So many more to come. 

My two primary reference books were:

Weick, F., and L.H Brown. Birds of Prey of the World: A Coloured Guide to Identification of All the Diurnal Species Order Falconiformes. Paul Parey, 1980.

Ferguson-Lees, James, and David Christie. Raptors of the World. A & C Black Publishers Ltd, 2010.

Falcons of the World (A collection)

Notable birds of the Falco genus from around the world. From left to right, top to bottom:

Red-Headed Falcon (Falco chicquera). Found in open grasslands of India and Africa. 

Brown Falcon (Falco berigora). Found in a variety of habitats across Australia. 

Eleonora’s Falcon (Falco eleonorae) (Dark morph). A nomadic falcon that moves between the Mediterranean and Madagascar. 

Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus). Found along Arctic and subarctic cliffs and coastlines and offshore islands. 

Orange-Breasted Falcon (Falco deiroleucus). Found in tropical and subtropical forests of Central and South America. 

All species maintain a diet composed primarily of birds and occasionally small mammals. Some of the species found in more tropical regions will also feed on insects and reptiles. 

Falcons of the World

Falco novaeseelandiae

I’ve been looking forward to revisiting this member of the Falco genus for a while. The New Zealand Falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae). New Zealand’s only species of falcon.  

This medium size bird of prey feeds primarily on birds, small mammals, reptiles, and insects. It most often hunts from a perch or from a high circular flight pattern diving to take prey. Like most falcons, prey is caught with talons and then dispatched with a bite to the neck/spine (unless it’s insects because that’s just like eating popcorn). 

This falcon was originally found exclusively in native forests and dense brush. However with extensive deforestation they have adapted to open grasslands and agricultural areas. 

A big thanks to my dad for this excellent wood panel to work on and thanks to you all for looking at birds with me. 

Hawks of the Buteo genus (mostly)

Well it took me two and a half months but it was a fun project and I really learned a lot. The first lesson was how much changes in taxonomy over ten years. I started his panel calling it “Hawks of the Buteo genus” and I was using a reference guide from 2001. Well not all of these are grouped in the Buteo genus anymore but that didn’t spoil my fun any. 

So here’s our panel starting at the top left:

Ridgway’s Hawk (Buteo ridgwayi), Gurney’s Hawk (Buteo poecilochrous), Zone-Tailed Hawk (Buteo albonotatus), White-Tailed Hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus), White-Rumped Hawk (Parabuteo leucorrhous), Red-Backed Hawk (Buteo polyosoma).

Galapagos Hawk (Buteo galapagoensis), Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), Roadside Hawk (Buteo magnirostris), Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus), Hawaiian Hawk (Buteo solitarius), Broad-Winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus).

Gray-Lined Hawk (Buteo nitidus), Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni), Rufous-Tailed Hawk (Buteo ventralis), Short-Tailed Hawk (Buteo brachyurus), White-Throated Hawk (Buteo albigula), Juan Fernández Hawk (Buteo exsul).

Rough-Legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus), Mountain Buzzard (Buteo oreophilus), Madagascar Buzzard (Buteo brachypterus), Red-Necked Buzzard (Buteo auguralis), Archer’s Buzzard (Buteo archeri), Augur Buzzard (Buteo augur).

This was a very fun and challenging project, from figuring out how to fit 24 hawks on one panel to laying them out in an orderly fashion. The first three rows are all found in North and South America. Row four finds a mix of Eurasian and African. 

If anything this panel demonstrates the extensive biodiversity of North and South America and also my stubbornness in cramming as many hawks onto one page as possible. 

Thank you so much for looking at birds with me.

My reference guide was: 

James, and David. Raptors of the World. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001.

Red-Tailed Hawks across the spectrum

“Inspiration, move me brightly

light the song with sense and color

Hold away despair

more than this I will not ask

Faced with mysteries dark and vast

statements just seem vain at last”

-Robert Hunter, the Grateful Dead. 

There is one specific bird that has long stirred my spirit to move paint across page after page. To call it my muse wouldn’t be completely unfair. Buteo jamaicensis. North America’s Red-tailed Hawk.  

Since my youth Red-tailed Hawks have captured my imagination. One of my earliest memories regarding birds was my father pointing out a perched Red-tailed Hawk in the field by our house. Then later a school visit to a wildlife rehabilitation center where I met my first hawk. And years later while I explored California’s central coast seeing them float on thermals inspired me to take all I’d learned from my sister about painting and use it to try and catch their wonder. 

“The storyteller makes no choice

soon you will not hear his voice

his job is to shed light

and not to master” 

-Robert Hunter, the Grateful Dead. 

Red-tailed Hawks are found across almost all of North America. I’ve been across almost all of North America from one time or another and enjoyed these hawks on my travels. I put together this panel to demonstrate the incredible variety of colors they occur in. 

Once again I’m proud to paint on a panel my father made for me. The same man who gave me my introduction to this great world of wildlife puts the pages right under my paintbrush. 

Falcons of the World: Peregrine Falcon (again).

Falco peregrinus. 

We’ve looked at this falcon several times here. From its astounding 200+ mph dives to its serrated knife of a bill that it utilizes to sever the spines of its prey. This bird is in a league of its own. 

After the last panel painting I still had these speedy murder birds fresh in mind so I put together another panel.  Thanks for looking at birds with me again. 

Eagles of the World: Crowned Eagle

Stephanoaetus coronatus.

A large and powerful eagle found in forested regions of Central and Southeastern Africa. Feeds primarily on mammals including monkeys, forest antelope, hyraxes, mongooses, and bushbabies. Large lizards and snakes are also on the menu, as is the occasional bird.

crowned process1

Thanks so much for looking at birds with me.

Hawks of the World: Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis.

North America’s most widespread raptor. Found in open regions of Mexico all the way north to Alaska and just about every point between. They prefer grasslands, fields, deserts, roadsides, parks, farmland, and broken forests. They feed primarily on small mammals, birds, reptiles, and swarming insects. They hunt from a perch like utility poles and trees. They also hunt on the wing, soaring in circles, gliding on thermals.  These hawks mate for life, nesting in treetops, cliff sides, and man made structures. They lay a clutch of between 1 and 5 eggs. Incubation time varies from 28-35 days.

rtha flight panel process

rtha panel paired 999

It’s no secret this is my favorite bird to study. In the field or in the studio they never fail to capture my imagination. They embody a sense of exploration and beauty to me. They were a common sight in my 20s when I was exploring California by bicycle and have remained a common sight as I enjoy my home near the prairie remnants of Illinois.

I put together these two paintings over the last couple weeks on panels my father made for me in his workshop. I can’t begin to express what a great gift it is to be able to paint on a panel he made, and to have his generous support all my life.

I’m so glad I get to share these birds and art with you all, thank you so much for looking at birds with me.

Raptors of the World: Ornate Hawk-Eagle

Spizaetus ornatus

Here’s an aptly named raptor found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. Feeds primarily on mammals, birds, large lizards, and snakes. They often hunt still from a perch then dive down after prey that’s passing by. They are also very strong flyers that can chase down prey that’s escaping.

ornate process2

Falcons of the World: Peregrine Falcon (Again indeed)

Falco peregrinus.

I first learned about these fine birds from a book when I was in second grade. Every time my class visited the library I went straight to the wildlife section and dove in. Fast forward some 20 some years and I’m still fascinated by these fine falcons.

I’m grateful to have had many different experiences with them in the wild. From California to Illinois in a number of different habitats. There’s really nothing quite like watching them fly, hunt, dive, and dine.

Falco t-shirt process edit

I’ve made a few different Peregrine panels over the last five years. This pose is among my favorites and so I duplicated it. I’m proud to be working on panels my father made for me in his wood shop.

Thanks Dad, and thanks to you for looking at birds with me.