The story of the bird
Maryland designated the Baltimore Oriole its state bird in 1947, and the reason is written into the state’s very heraldry - the male’s black and golden-orange plumage mirrors the Calvert family colors on the Maryland flag. The state spans tidal marsh, Appalachian ridgeline, and mid-Atlantic coast, and the Birders Guide to Maryland and DC records 463 bird species on the official list.
This plate gathers the signature birds of Maryland onto a single sheet, drawn in the Audubon tradition of close observation and honest colour: Baltimore Oriole, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Black Rail, Saltmarsh Sparrow, Swainson’s Warbler, and the Brown-headed Nuthatch.
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 Maryland’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 Maryland field guide: /state/maryland/
More Maryland prints: /plates/state/maryland/
