Cedar Bird by John James Audubon

An archival premium Quality art Print of the Cedar Bird or Cedar Waxwing by John James Audubon for sale by Brandywine General Store. The artist drew these birds in the 19th century for his epic ornithology reference book The Birds of America. Mr. Audubon portrays this cedar waxwing in a red cedar branch which is full of blue berries, a male and female bird are shown, this bird was the 43rd print or picture in the book. Bombycilla Carollnensis - Mr Audubon says the following of the cedar bird "Louisiana affords abundance of food and pleasant weather to this species, for nearly four months of the year, as the Cedar-birds reach that State about the beginning of November, and retire towards the Middle Districts in the beginning of March. The holly, the vines, the persimon, the pride-of-china, and various other trees, supply them with plenty of berries and fruits, on which they fatten, and become so tender and juicy as to be sought by every epicure for the table. I have known an instance of a basketful of these little birds having been forwarded to New Orleans as a Christmas present. The donor, however, was disappointed in his desire to please his friend in that city, for it was afterwards discovered that the steward of the steamer, in which they were shipped, made pies of them for the benefit of the passengers. The appetite of the Cedar-bird is of so extraordinary a nature as to prompt it to devour every fruit or berry that comes in its way. In this manner they gorge themselves to such excess as sometimes to be unable to fly, and suffer themselves to be taken by the hand. Indeed I have seen some which, although wounded and confined in a cage, have eaten of apples until suffocation deprived them of life in the course of a few days. When opened afterwards, they were found to be gorged to the mouth." Audubon bird print #43