Don Balke (North Carolina, B. 1933) "Winter Wren" Signed lower right. Original Watercolor on Illustration Board.
Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. Rain Forest 33c Winter Wren stamp issued March 29, 2000.
The melodious song of the Winter Wren defies its plain appearance. A small, roundish bird with a short, stubby tail, this secretive bird is easily identified by its delightful chimp-chimp call and rapid series of high trills. The Winter Wren displays brown plumage, with darker shades along the flanks and a lighter buff on its breast and underparts. Its eyebrow stripe is short and narrow, and its wings feature distinctive barring. A denizen of coniferous forests, this tiny bird is found among dense undergrowth, wooded hedges, and boreal swamps and bogs. Although the Winter Wren favors spruce and fir forests, it is a ground-feeding bird and is occasionally found in cultivated areas. In constant motion, this sprightly bird probes among rocks and undergrowth for spiders, ants, beetles and slugs. The Winter Wren may build its nest in a tangled, upturned tree root, underneath a stump, in a brush heap or in a rocky crevice. Unlike other wren species, the Winter Wren does not nest in an enclosed cavity such as a woodpecker hole. The male builds several nests of twigs, grass and moss, leaving it up to the female to decide which one is best. The young are fed by both parents and leave the nest about 19 days after hatching. Sometimes another female settles into one of the decoy nests. If there is sufficient food, the male becomes polygamous, taking a second mate.
Image Size: 7 x 6 in.
Overall Size: 12 x 11 in.
Unframed.
(B16721)
Condition
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