Western Bluebird and Rufous-crowned Sparrow by Shawn Bullen

Painted: September 4, 2016

Sponsored by: Robin's Nest Nature Preschool

About the Birds: In regions of rolling hills, Western Bluebirds and Rufous-crowned Sparrows may be neighbors: the bluebirds fluttering from trees to open meadows, the sparrows lurking in dense hillside thickets. A warming climate may make life harder for both birds. The sparrows are sedentary, ill-suited to dispersing to new territory if their thickets dry out. Western Bluebirds wander more, but the small wild fruits they eat in winter are sure to become scarce in a warmer, drier future.

About the Artist: Since getting his start painting walls in his hometown of Chicago, Shawn Bullen has produced large-scale murals in cities across North America. His work deals with a variety of subject matter, from raising awareness about endangered species to a series about gratitude and desire. Though he now lives in New York, he has spent a lot of time in the regions this bluebird and sparrow inhabit: “I've seen both birds, and they are extremely stunning.”

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