Many people view Pigeons, House Sparrows and Starlings with disdain. Birders often refer to them as “trash” birds and some fail to really notice them and/or omit them in their counts. Growing up with acres of woods in my backyard exposed me to the usual buffet of native birds along with the “ugly birds”, as my mom would say, such as House Sparrows and Grackles. She would look forward to the Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks in May and Baltimore Orioles throughout the summer. My mom didn’t like the “ugly” birds because they devoured all of her bird seed and they were too ordinary. Birders don’t like them because they are invasive and take over habitat of native birds such as Chickadees and other cavity nesters. I get it.
As an adult I have always lived and worked in cities. Surrounded by tall buildings with very little green space, I would get excited when I would see a squirrels on the Boston Common or hear a flock of House Sparrows chirping madly in a derelict shrub. These everyday encounters with wildlife help humanize the cityscape and remind us of nature. And if you stop for a moment to really look, you realize how beautiful they are despite the lack of flashy colors and “ordinariness”. You also discover their unique personalities. As an artist, I find inspiration in taking common creatures and making them the subject of my paintings to help inspire a smile or make people take a second look.