Eastern Kingbird by Andre Trenier

Painted: 12/5/2022

Sponsored by: Vicki B. Meyer

About the Bird: The Eastern Kingbird belongs to a family of flycatchers, and the reason becomes obvious when you see one flying out from a perch on a wire or treetop to catch an insect in mid-air. The species is acrobatic, making displays with rapid zig zags, up and down flights, and backwards somersaults to impress a mate. It’s then that you may glimpse the bird’s patch of fiery crown feathers, which are otherwise usually concealed. Although the birds typically nest in trees or shrubs, they’ve also been known to take up residence on powerlines, dead snags on standing water, the tops of fence posts, and other sites. Currently widespread in the eastern United States, the Eastern Kingbird may lose 45 percent of its summer breeding range, including across much of the South, if the global temperature stays on track to increase 3 degrees Celsius.

About the Artist: Bronx artist Andre Trenier began painting murals in 2003 and since then has traveled across Europe and the world, perfecting his spray painting techniques, completing large-scale walls, and competing in art battles—live competitions where the crowd chooses the winner. He has painted several dozen murals in the Bronx and Washington Heights, including a 150-foot wall commissioned by the Bronx Museum, and a series of acclaimed works featuring baseball greats, musical artists, and Muhammad Ali. For this Audubon Mural Project artwork (his second), Andre became interested in the mental health benefits that bird watching brings, and by extension, the notion that murals of birds might similarly bring people joy. Andre is currently an Artist in Residence at the Andrew Freedman Home in the Bronx.