Passenger Pigeon, Blue-mountain Warbler, and Hemlock Warbler

John G. Warnicke after Alexander Wilson

National Gallery of Art

This is a painting of three birds - a pigeon and two smaller birds. The illustration shows a large pigeon perched on a tree stump with detailed plumage of blue, brown, and gray, and a reddish eye. In the foreground, two smaller birds are perched on a branch with bright yellow feathers and black and white accents on their wings and backs. The leaves on the branch are green. The composition and detail reflect a realistic and scientific approach to ornithological illustration.