The Woodthrush Wanders Washington Project

Washington, DC

April 2016

    Our idea for the Alphabet Animal Art Piece for Walter Street St 12th St NE is to depict the District of Columbia State Bird, the Wood Thrush. We wanted to capture this species of bird the way that they live in nature while referencing nearby Washington, DC Capitol Hill, and Mall Landmarks such as the Capitol, The Washington, Memorial, The Jefferson Memorial, and the Cherry Blossoms. Wood thrushes are beautiful birds and are always on the wing gathering up twigs and leaves for their nests or flying around looking for insects or berries to feed their young. These birds are never stationary unless they are at their nests. Although primarily a solitary bird, the wood thrush forms temporary mixed-species flocks when they migrate in the winter south towards Mexico. We wanted to make an art piece that shows off the movement and mobility of these dynamic birds while linking them to this part of Washington, DC.

The Wood Thrush was declared the District’s state bird in 1967. Unlike Cardinals for example there is no sexual dimorphism between males and females of the species, meaning sexes share the same color palettes and markings. The colors of these birds are cinnamon-brown on their crowns which fade to olive-brown colored nape on the backs, wings, and tails. The breast of this bird is white with large dark spots on its belly that allow the Wood Thrush to blend with its surroundings as it searches for insects on the forest floor. The Wood Thrush resides in Eastern United States forests and can be recognized due to the beauty of its song. Unfortunately, its loud and beautiful song is often heard less and less due to declining numbers.