"Falco Peregrinus Study"

2024

Oil on linen mounted on board

Dimensions: Unframed 6"x9"; Framed 10"x13"

Artist Statement: Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is to me the animal which best represents the Grand Canyon. About 100 pairs nest within the canyon's walls, more than any other place on earth. Since my first visit over twenty years ago I've spent hundreds of hours observing, photographing, filming and painting peregrines in the Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Zion. This painting is a rarely available study for a future large piece and depicts a peregrine I have painted and photographed many times near his eyrie on the cliffs west of Canyon Village. He rises up on a thermal with the Kaibab Limestone reflecting warm light into his underside.

The apex predator of the open skies, peregrines hunt just about anything which flies in the air column from dragon flies to birds ranging from their daily intake of white-throated swifts to much larger pelicans and even bats at dusk. Many times a day I watched this individual repeatedly soar upwards of 2,000 feet above the rim, then spotting prey items or territorial intruders deep in the canyon, he would fold back the wings and rocket downwards until nearly disappearing thousands of feet below before darting around with acrobatic agility. At top speed (exceeding 240 mph), a peregrine could theoretically fly from the elevation of the North Rim to Phantom Ranch in about 15 seconds. Observing the same individuals year after year, I've also grown to know them for their unique personalities, intelligence, adaptive parenting, creativity, use of tools and toys, and sheer playfulness. Peregrine falcons seem to truly enjoy flying among the beautiful open views of the Grand Canyon and chasing the fastest birds in the sky. On the brink of extinction in the 1960s, peregrines have since recovered, flourished and now serve as one of our greatest success stories for endangered species and symbol of hope for what we can still accomplish through scientific study, education and conservation.

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