The helpless calls of birds around us often go unnoticed. Because of this, the general population doesn’t recognize how quickly many species are becoming mere fragments of history. When observing this work, it’s likely that viewers will be unable to name more than a few species represented— including endangered native species to our home, Michigan. Because birds are such a cornerstone to understanding the world’s health and climate change’s impacts, I find it unfortunate that they tend to be overshadowed by larger and flashier animals. With this piece, I hope to invite viewers to understand more about the avian world and begin recognizing the devastation that’s been caused to their populations due to human impact. Some birds depicted are endangered or vulnerable, and some aren’t, but without further research, viewers will be unable to recognize which ones are at risk.
