Florida Scrub-Jay and Mexican Jay by Welin

Painted: 10/6/16

About the Birds: A habitat specialist, the Florida Scrub-Jay depends heavily on scrub oak in the state where it is endemic—a vegetation that is vulnerable to warming. While Audubon’s climate models show the bird hanging on in summer, 96 percent of its range in winter may no longer support it. Mexican Jays, on the other hand, can be found in the foothill oak forest of the New Mexico–Arizona “sky islands” and the Big Bend area of Texas. Although it may retain strongholds in Mexico, much of its U.S. range may be lost.

About the Artist: Since 2011 Welin has had a great passion for graffiti art and street art and has decorated everything from large walls to facades, trucks, homes, institutions, and offices. He draws inspiration from things happening in society and likes to mix graffiti with traditional art, giving it a different expression. He paired two species for this mural, chosen for “their beautiful color and their similarities.”

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