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Pygmy Nuthatch

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I’m very excited to see my Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) illustration featured on a figure in a new paper led by my friend Rachel Herman. Using population genomic data, the paper details how Gentoo Penguins have relatively recently expanded their distribution to the Antarctic Peninsula. In the figure that dons my illustration, you can see a surprising amount of population structure, indicating that these birds tend to breed where they come from. I also included some photos and video of Gentoos that I haven’t shared yet, just for fun. I feel very privileged to be included in this work, which is a product from samples we collected in 2022 when I joined an Antarctic trip to help my friend Gemma Clucas with her penguin research. To read the paper, copy and paste the following into your browser - https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17282 @cornellbirds

My current work in progress - the King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa), a bizarre but beautiful vulture of the Neotropics.

I finished a draft of the subspecies borealis for the guide I’m developing on the Red-tailed Hawk Project website, which I’ve now added and made live. Over time my plan is to add text that highlights unique features for each subspecies. The design of the plates might change, and eventually I’ll add some representation of typical amounts of plumage variation within each subspecies. I like this type of ‘live’ development, because it means folks can use and reference what’s been developed now, rather than waiting for the entire thing to be finished. That’s one perk for having this resource in the digital realm. To explore the current version of the subspecies guide, visit www.redtailedhawkproject.org/subspecies-guide/.

For the past year or so I’ve been soaking up the literature on plumage polymorphism in raptors. One species, the Black Goshawk (Accipiter melanoleucus) has received a lot of attention. Studies have found many factors associated with the different morphs, including differential parasite loads, hunting success in different light conditions, and the resulting benefits to provisioning nestlings for mixed morph pairs, and more. It’s a beautiful bird, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know it better while illustrating each morph.

The Red-tailed Hawks of North America (north of Mexico). From top left, abieticola, alascensis, borealis, calurus, harlani, fuertesi, kriderii, and umbrinus. I’ve been slowly building the subspecies guide on the Red-tailed Hawk Project website, which I hope will provide a resource for anyone interested in understanding the plumage diversity in this excellent species. To see these illustrations in action visit www.redtailedhawkproject.org.

Some birds from a month spent in the Peruvian Andes helping out my good friend Jessie Williamson on her Giant Hummingbird research. Giant Hummingbird, Andean Condor, Variable Hawk, and Peruvian Thick-knee.

Recent Posts

Published in Western Birds 52(1): An update on the status of the Anna’s Hummingbird in Idaho, as well as documentation of the first breeding record for the state
Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis) Painting featured on the cover of the Journal of Raptor Research
Illustrations featured in a new review on raptor vision in the journal ‘Diversity’
Migrating Sharp-shinned Hawk painting on the cover of Golden Gate Raptor Observatory’s Pacific Raptor
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