Hermit Thrush by Will DeNatale

Listen to the bird in this mural!

Painted: 7/22/2025

About the Mural: In this mural created by artist Will DeNatale, Hermit Thrushes flit against a vibrant background of colorful designs and native plants including lady ferns, woodland phlox, purple coneflower, bearberry, and New England aster. 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 the Garden of Eden, a “community paradise” in the Bronx. The expansive green space grows a range of fruits and vegetables, hosts numerous community events including nutrition workshops and chef-crafted meals—and even sells a signature hot sauce. 

About the Bird: The Hermit Thrush is a small, chunky bird that hops around forest floors, sorting through leaf litter for tasty insects. It has a spotted brown-and-white chest, a distinctive reddish tail, and a clear, haunting song. DeNatale says he was drawn to the species because it was, well, cute, but in a more subtle way than some other species. “It was very understated,” he says. “Like an underdog—or underbird.”

Though this thrush’s populations appear stable today, a changing climate poses threats: If warming continues at its current pace, the species is projected to lose 71 percent of its present summer range, according to Audubon’s Survival By Degrees report. Taking action to limit warming can help allow Hermit Thrushes to keep living across a wider range of habitats. Meanwhile, maintaining pockets of green space like community gardens—and populating them with native plants—can help offer the birds crucial spaces to rest and refuel. 

About the Artist: Will DeNatale is an artist born and raised in New York City. Though he’s always had a passion for creating art, DeNatale says he tried out different career paths, from advertising to counseling, before seriously turning to art six years ago. Since then, he’s pursued his craft through commissioned work in the studio as well as murals across the city, including schools, hospitals, and other public places. He describes his style as drawing from the frenetic energy of the city, as well as from the surreal world of dreams. He also works as a teaching artist at Thrive Collective and Groundswell and feels that public art offers a crucial way to cultivate care and intention. “The actual action of working on a mural with people is really profound, and transcends a lot of the noise,” he says.

While working in the garden for this mural, DeNatale says the green space’s expansive size, peaceful environment, and welcoming community created a special setting to work in. “Right away, I just got this oasis vibe,” DeNatale says. In his richly detailed design, he plays with ideas of duality and connectedness, placing two of his thrushes in a subtle yin-yang formation and four others flying through the sky between a sun and moon as a fern unfurls below them. “I hope it opens up something for people,” DeNatale says of the mural. “A sense of peace, and a sense of rootedness—like you belong somewhere.”