Experience the untouched splendor of the northern forests of North America through this magnificent replica of the famous painting by John James Audubon, "Arctic Three-Toed Woodpecker" (Plate 132 in the iconic The Birds of America).The famous artist Audubon was known for depicting his subject matter in natural positions instead of a formal profile position. This beautiful piece of work captures three woodpeckers – two male with their distinct golden-yellow crown and a single beautifully patterned female – holding onto a decomposing tree trunk covered in lichen. The depiction wonderfully represents an ecological behavior of this species which involves peeling off the tree's outer layer in order to prey on beetle larvae within the wood. Observe the anatomy; Audubon depicted the unique evolution of the bird in having only three toes as opposed to four, enabling the bird to lean backward and peck at dead trees with amazing strength.
