The story of the bird
Pennsylvania designated the Ruffed Grouse as its official state bird in 1931 - chosen for a state where young forest once covered every ridge from the Appalachian Front to the Kittatinny. The Pennsylvania Ornithological Records Committee’s 2024 official list stands at 447 accepted species, with the state’s position on the Atlantic Flyway making it one of the great raptor and warbler corridors in eastern North America.
This plate gathers the signature birds of Pennsylvania onto a single sheet, drawn in the Audubon tradition of close observation and honest colour: Cerulean Warbler, Golden Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Pileated Woodpecker, Wood Duck, Great Crested Flycatcher, Bald Eagle, and the Ruffed Grouse.
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 Pennsylvania’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 Pennsylvania field guide: /state/pennsylvania/
More Pennsylvania prints: /plates/state/pennsylvania/
