Rose-breasted Grosbeak and American Tree Sparrow by Farid Hadechini
Location: Citizens for a Better Community Garden, 742 Monroe Street, Brooklyn, NY 11221
Listen to the birds in this mural!
Painted: 6/18/2025
About the Mural: In this mural by artist Farid Hadechini, titled “A Flight of Colors,” a Rose-breasted Grosbeak and American Tree Sparrow swoop over a colorful background infused with native red mulberry and American pokeweed. 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.
This mural was created with Citizens for a Better Community Garden in Bed Stuy, where neighbors grow a diverse range of crops in rows of raised beds. Hadechini says he enjoyed working alongside the garden members while painting the mural and tried to capture the dynamic energy of the garden space through his colorful work. “This mural design celebrates the beauty of nature and community,” Hadechini says.
About the Birds: The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is a vibrant visitor to bird feeders and leafy woodlands in the East, identifiable by its bright red chest patch and rich voice—like a sweeter version of an American Robin’s song. Meanwhile, the plump American Tree Sparrow displays subtler plumage: a gray and reddish-brown body with a rusty cap. Despite its name, this bird is more often spotted on the ground than among the trees, hopping around the ground in small flocks to snap up seeds.
Though populations for these birds are stable today, they both face looming threats from climate change: If warming continues at its current pace, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak is set to lose 66 percent of its current summer range, according to Audubon’s Survival By Degrees report. For the American Tree Sparrow, that loss could be as high as 86 percent, the report estimates. Taking action to limit warming can help ensure both of these species have more room to thrive across a wider range of habitats. Meanwhile, maintaining pockets of green space like community gardens—and filling them with native plants—can make sure the birds have the spaces and the food sources they need.
About the Artist: Farid Hadechini is a 40-year-old queer artist from Colombia currently living in Brooklyn. He is a tattoo and visual artist whose work is inspired by animals and botany. Through his projects, he enjoys collaborating with others and highlighting the intersection between community, creativity, and nature.
In this garden mural, which he painted during Pride Month, Hadechini says he chose to feature two avian species with very different looks to show the importance of diversity in the natural world—underscoring that “there is not one ‘correct way’ to be something.” He hopes that the painting, with its colorful design and focus on wildlife, can help bring people a moment of happiness. “In today’s climate, it is very important to find little moments that remind you that even though life can be difficult, we are surrounded by beauty and inspiration, especially in nature,” Hadechini says.