Band Tailed Pigeon by John James Audubon art print

An archival premium Quality art Print of the Band Tailed Pigeon by John James Audubon for sale by Brandywine General Store. The artwork features a male and female pair of these colorful band tailed pigeons or doves setting in a dogwood tree eating the red berries. The dogwood is the genus Cornus Nutalli, Mr. Audubon had a sister of one of his friends draw the botanical parts of this painting. The dogwood shows the leaves, blooms and red berries very realistically and beautifully detailed and colored. Mr. Audubon included these birds in his epic ornithological reference book, The Birds of America, as plate or picture number 367. These were taken from the 1st Havell edition, of which Audubon painted or sketched these birds in his travels through the United States, then he would forward his sketches to Mr. Havell in London, who completed the painting of the birds and engraved them for the book.

Columba Fasciata - Mr. Audubon describes the Band Tailed Pigeon thus "In the course of Colonel LONG'S expedition to the Rocky Mountains, a single specimen of this large and handsome Pigeon was procured. This individual was afterwards figured in the continuation of WILSON'S American Ornithology. Many specimens, however, have more recently been obtained by Mr. TOWNSEND, from whom I have procured three pairs of adult and some young birds. Comparing them with the figure above alluded to, I should consider it as having been taken from a young male. In my plate are represented two adult birds, placed on the branch of a superb species of dogwood, discovered by my learned friend THOMAS NUTTALL, Esq., when on his march toward the shores of the Pacific Ocean, and which I have graced with his name!

The beautiful drawing of this branch was executed by Miss MARTIN, the amiable and accomplished sister of my friend Dr. BACHMAN. Seeds of this new species of Cornus were sent by me to Lord RAVENSWORTH, and have germinated, so that this beautiful production of the rich valley of the Columbia river may now be seen in the vicinity of London, and in the grounds of the nobleman just mentioned, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Mr. TOWNSEND's notice respecting the bird here spoken of is as follows, The Band-tailed Pigeon is called by the Chinook Indians 'akoigh homin.' It ranges from the eastern spurs of the Rocky Mountains across to the Columbia river, where it is abundant. It arrived in 1836 in very great numbers, on the 17th of April, and continued in large flocks while breeding. Their breeding places are on the banks of the river. The eggs are placed on the ground, under small bushes, without a nest, where numbers congregate together. The eggs are two, of a yellowish-white colour, inclining to bluish-white, with minute white spots at the great end. These Pigeons feed upon the berries of the black elder and the buds of the balsam poplar. When sitting in the trees, they huddle very close together in the manner of the Carolina Parrot, and many may be killed at a single discharge of the fowling-piece. The flesh is tender and juicy, and therefore fine eating...." Audubon bird print #367