red-winged blackbird

Their call marks the start of spring in these parts, the cheery “Potpourri!” trilling over the sea of cattails. Red-winged blackbirds are so stinking adorable, but they can also be ferocious for their size, often attacking much larger birds and predators to defend their territory.

Fun fact: cattails, rather than blackbirds, are what initially inspired me to make this piece. Cattails, the beautiful, useful, important marsh plants that Robin Wall Kimmerer devoted an entire chapter of Braiding Sweetgrass to praise. This was a fun one to make.

This 3-block woodcut measures 7.25 x 10.75” (paper measures 8.25 x 11.75”). Second edition run of 40.

10% of sales made from this print will be donated to the National Audubon Society.