Roseate Spoonbill Audubon Unframed Print

Roseate Spoonbill by John James Audubon

• original plate number: 321
• original plate size: this is the size of the artwork as it was in its original format. The image on the unframed wall print that you receive will be as close to this original plate size as possible, but plates sizes are approximate.
• overall paper size: the size of the physical piece of paper that you will receive.

Image description as it appears in The Birds of America book by John James Audubon:

Platalea ajaja, Linn. Plate CCCXXI. Adult male.

The old birds pass through their spring moult early in March, after which they are truly beautiful, presenting the appearance which I have attempted to represent in the plate before you.

The sight of a flock of fifteen or twenty of these full-dressed birds is extremely pleasing to the student of nature, should he conceal himself from their view, for then he may observe their movements and manners to advantage.

Now, they all stand with their wings widely extended to receive the sun’s rays, or perhaps to court the cooling breeze, or they enjoy either seated on their tarsi. Again, they all stalk about with graceful steps along the margin of the muddy pool, or wade in the shallows in search of food.

After a while they rise simultaneously on wing, and gradually ascend in a spiral manner to a great height, where you see them crossing each other in a thousand ways, like so many Vultures or Ibises.

At length, tired of this pastime, or perhaps urged by hunger, they return to their feeding grounds in a zigzag course, and plunge through the air, as if displaying their powers of flight before you.

These birds fly with their necks stretched forward to their full length, and their legs and feet extended behind, moving otherwise in the manner of Herons, or with easy flappings, until about to alight, when they sail with expanded wings, passing once or twice over the spot, and then gently coming to the ground, on which they run a few steps.