Florida Jay (Plate CLXXII)
1830
About this artwork
This hand-colored aquatint depicts two crested blue jays perched on a gnarled branch adorned with leaves. One bird is actively feeding on a nut, while the other is shown in a more upright, observing posture. It is Plate CLXXII from John James Audubon's monumental ornithological work, The Birds of America.
Did you know?
John James Audubon's "The Birds of America" is renowned for its life-sized depictions of North American birds, a monumental undertaking that involved extensive travel and meticulous hand-coloring of thousands of prints. While this plate is titled "Florida Jay," the birds depicted closely resemble what is now known as the Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri), a species primarily found in western North America. This discrepancy reflects the evolving understanding and classification of bird species during Audubon's time.
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Florida Jay (Plate CLXXII)
John James Audubon, 1830
