The story of the bird
The Lark Bunting - coal-black with white wing patches - was chosen as Colorado’s state bird in 1931 because no other state had claimed it. Colorado’s 522 recorded species range from shortgrass prairie on the eastern plains to alpine tundra above 14,000 feet, a span of habitat found in no other state in the continental interior.
This plate gathers the signature birds of Colorado onto a single sheet, drawn in the Audubon tradition of close observation and honest colour: White-tailed Ptarmigan, Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, Gunnison Sage-Grouse, Ferruginous Hawk, Mountain Plover, Steller’s Jay, and the Lark Bunting.
The print
A studied composite in the Audubon style. Cream ground, the navy and sage of the house palette, each bird drawn in true proportion to the others and arranged as a single editorial plate rather than a chart. It reads as one picture of what Colorado’s skies and yards actually hold.
Paper and finish
Unframed prints come on Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308gsm, a heavyweight cotton rag with a soft matte surface and true archival life. The framed option is a different stock: Enhanced Matte 200gsm, set in a classic moulding, mounted and glazed, ready to hang straight from the box. Choose your frame in black, white or natural.
Sizes
Three sizes: A4, A3 and A2, or an instant digital PDF. Prints from $39. Framed from $109. Digital download $9.
How to hang it
A composite plate wants room to breathe. Give it a pale wall, warm white or sage, and hang it at eye height where the palette can carry. A brown or gold moulding suits the cream ground; black or dark grey gives a more graphic edge. Keep it out of direct sun, which fades the colour over decades.
Birds of Colorado field guide: /state/colorado/
More Colorado prints: /plates/state/colorado/
