The story of the bird
The Northern Cardinal is the state bird of Illinois, a state that runs from Lake Michigan shoreline to Mississippi bottomlands to remnant tallgrass prairie. Over 450 bird species recorded - one of the longest state lists east of the Mississippi.
This plate gathers the signature birds of Illinois onto a single sheet, drawn in the Audubon tradition of close observation and honest colour: Prothonotary Warbler, Greater Prairie Chicken, Henslow’s Sparrow, Cerulean Warbler, Mississippi Kite, Sandhill Crane, and the Northern Cardinal.
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 Illinois’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 Illinois field guide: /state/illinois/
More Illinois prints: /plates/state/illinois/
