Medium: Watercolor on cold-press Fabriano, 8 X 10 inches.
Original: Not Available
Broad-winged hawks are an under-appreciated species. These incredible little hawks migrate from the
northeastern United States all the way to South America. They leave in late August and don't return
until April. That is one impressive migration! They also eat pretty much anything they can get their
talons on, and unlike most buteos, make their home in thick forests.
I have the pleasure of working with one of these awesome birds, and painted this through inspiration
of Chico, an educational bird at Horizon Wings Raptor Rehabilitation and Education Center. Chico fell out
of the nest as a chick and broke his wing in such a way that it never healed right, so he was raised
as a program bird. He is one of the most expressive birds I know, and he is always the first to spot
another raptor overhead. If we see Chico look up, we look up too, and most of the time there will be
something soaring high above.
This is a sister piece to Coniferous - a slightly fantasy-touched raptor painting (broad-wings do not
have purple-tinged feathers in real life!), but in a leafy environment instead of evergreen.
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