In this extraordinary composition of natural history, Audubon demonstrates his remarkable talent for depicting bird actions in an artistic manner. This particular illustration shows four White-Breasted Nuthatches (Sitta Carolinensis) moving along the gnarled bark of a pine branch. Living up to their characteristic behavioral profile, the birds are portrayed moving, holding on, and going down the tree trunk headfirst while hanging upside-down.The print contains a beautifully textured tree trunk with pine needles, shelf fungi, and dangling Spanish moss or tree lichen. Audubon shows the birds from various angles in order to show their distinct markings; black caps, slate-blue wings, white breasts, and a hint of chestnut coloration beneath the feathers near their vents. Different postures assumed by the birds, one flying and the rest observing the bark fissures, make for a strong vertical momentum.
