Swamp Sparrow by Peach Tao

Listen to the bird in this mural!

Painted: 7/17/2025

About the Mural: In this mural by artist Peach Tao, a Swamp Sparrow goes fishing in a fantastical landscape full of bright color, whimsical creatures, and native plants such as Virginia rose flower and black cherry tree. As part of the Audubon Mural Project—a public-art initiative drawing attention to birds that are vulnerable to extinction from climate change—NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program and NYC Parks GreenThumb worked with the National Audubon Society, Gitler &_____ Gallery, and local artists to design murals in community gardens across the city. Through a collaborative process between the partners, artist, and garden group, each mural was designed to feature climate-threatened birds as well as native plants that birds depend on for food and shelter. By creating vibrant urban green spaces, community gardeners provide essential support for birds and people. Explore more murals from the collaboration here.

This mural was created with Green Gems, a large, sunny community garden in East New York. “It’s a very fairytale-looking garden,” says artist Tao, who was inspired to incorporate elements of the setting into her design. The chickens and rabbit that live in the garden make an appearance in the mural alongside the featured Swamp Sparrow—who wears a green baseball cap as an homage to the signature look of the garden’s longtime caretaker, Mr. James. 

About the Bird: The Swamp Sparrow’s clear, trilling songs and sharp calls ring out in cattail marshes and swampy thickets across the Eastern United States and Canada. Though common, this bird can be tricky to spot: Its richly patterned plumage and reddish cap blend in with its surroundings as it forages for bugs and seeds in the mud. 

While it has declined with the loss of marshy habitat, the Swamp Sparrow remains widespread today. However, a changing climate poses threats: If warming continues at its current pace, the species is projected to lose 63 percent of its current summer range, according to Audubon’s Survival By Degrees report. Taking action to limit warming can help allow this bird to keep thriving across a wider range of habitat. Meanwhile, maintaining pockets of green space like community gardens—and populating them with native plants—can offer crucial places for the birds to rest and refuel.

About the Artist: Peach Tao is a Brooklyn-based muralist, teaching artist, and illustrator. Born and raised in Beijing, China, she received a BFA in illustration and printmaking from Savannah College of Art and Design. Tao enjoys painting murals and windows for all kinds of places throughout New York City, including public schools, hospitals, small businesses, public spaces, bars, and restaurants. Her murals can also be found in Puerto Rico and Georgia. She has collaborated with multiple organizations that are focused on beautifying public spaces through murals, like NYC Health+Hospitals, Thrive Collective, Groundswell, the LISA Project, East Village Walls, and the Bushwick Collective. Her illustration and printmaking work can also be seen in books, apparel, advertisements, and beyond.

For her Green Gems mural, Tao brought her signature whimsical style while still making sure garden members could see themselves reflected in the piece. The artwork is full of playful details, like a fish going fishing alongside the Swamp Sparrow and the garden’s resident cat lounging next to its resident stuffed animal tiger. “It just adds a little bit of fantasy elements into familiar daily life,” Tao says. “A little bit of lightheartedness.”