Whooping crane
1827-1838
Imagine hearing a sound like a trumpet blast—that's the 'whoop' of this magnificent bird, captured here with its beak wide open. Audubon painted this giant crane for his famous book 'The Birds of America,' aiming to show every bird in North America at its actual life size. Notice the bright red patch on its head and those incredibly long, knobby legs perfect for wading. In the background, you can see a peaceful wetland scene with mountains, where a whole flock of cranes is hanging out, giving us a sense of their natural habitat before they became critically endangered.
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