The story of the bird
Snow on the branch. A red berry below. And the male Cardinalis cardinalis, crimson holding hard against the pale winter ground, not going anywhere. A favourite gift for the holidays, and a piece that earns its place on the wall long after the tree comes down.
The print
Printed on fine-art paper in three sizes, 8x10 to 24x30. Prints from $39, framed options available. The framed option ships ready to hang.
About the bird
He does not migrate: every other colour in the garden has left for the winter, but the cardinal stays bright. His red is carotenoid pigment, built from the fruit and berries he ate the previous autumn, so a well-fed bird in October is a deeper red in January. A male at a winter feeder is one of the most-photographed wild birds in North America.
In the tradition of Audubon, for the wall of the midwinter room.
