Unlimited edition. 18 x 24 inch, museum-quality poster on matte paper.

As a kid, kestrels seemed to be ubiquitous on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Perched on telephone lines alongside every back road, clam shell driveway, or hedgerow, they staked out the fringe below, heads pitched down, keen eyes scanning for the telltale movement of snakes, small mammals, or large insects. Kestrels were so common, it seemed obvious to me that North America’s smallest falcon thrived in the context of human settlement. I was therefore shocked to learn, a few years ago, that mid-Atlantic kestrel populations have declined by 93% over the last 50 years. Here in coastal California, their numbers have dropped by 69% during that same time frame. The reasons for this downtown are not entirely clear, but research suggests it is *not* due to habitat loss or competition from other raptor species; furthermore, their populations are not declining everywhere – in the Midwest, for example, kestrel populations are increasing. It will take more time to understand this dramatic regional population flux. Meanwhile, the kestrels of my childhood and adult home grounds carry on being small but fierce falcons. Here’s hoping they can use the false eye spots on the back of their heads to ward off any further attrition! 👀

Note: These archival poster prints feature rich, appealing colors. I encourage customers to take care in handling them until they are framed/protected for display; the darker colors on the matte paper can be scratched. They ship rolled, so customers need to flatten them before framing (or have their framer do so).

Charitable Sales Model: Whenever one of these poster prints is purchased, a charitable contribution equal to 10% of the print’s cost (or $3.60) is made to a nonprofit working to tackle environmental or social challenges. Read more about my charitable sales model here.