Out Of The Blue - Augur Buzzard
24 inches high x 18 inches wide

“The Augur Buzzard, an African hawk, spends much of its time soaring while looking for food. When it sees potential prey it continues to soar while making a slow descent, at times hovering in place. When the buzzard thinks it has the advantage, the hunter will then tip forward and power dive ‘out of the blue’ to make its kill. This remarkable hawk is also known to engage venomous snakes and monitor lizards on the ground, using its broad wings like a matador's cape to entice the snake to strike, then quickly grabbing the head with its talons.

“The decline is due to collisions with electrical infrastructure and cars, electrocutions, habitat fragmentation, habitat loss or deliberate, or incidental poisoning. All of these issues are things that can be fairly easily addressed with some effort.”

Artists For Conservation
“14th Annual International Exhibit of Nature in Art”
VanDusen Botanical Gardens,Vancouver, British Columbia
Sept. 21-24, 2023