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

The genus name for this distinctive bird is Psarocolius, which translates as “a starling kind of woodpecker.” The Montezuma oropendola, however, is neither starling nor woodpecker. Oropendolas are their own, wonderful thing, most famous perhaps for their impressive hanging woven nests and charismatic vocalizations. The bird’s common name references an attribute all of the oropendola species share, the golden feathers on their outer wings (oropendola translates from Spanish as “golden plume”), but don’t let that striking saffron – or the bird’s bright orange, amaranth pink, or sky blue bling – cause you to discount the subtly chic combination of deep reds and browns; the bird is often described as chestnut, but a close look at the plumage shows the feathers to be much darker in neutral light, rich shades of redwood and rosewood.

Montezuma oropendola conversation – which sounds at once like a burbling brook and an alarmed droid – has what David Abram called “an earthly resonance”; their call awakens me to my surroundings, seemingly heightening all of my senses and making me fully present in the moment. This is not the case with just any bird call or song. We’ve mostly forgotten how to listen to other animals, and I think the oropendola offers us an opportunity to tune back in and to learn. (Click here to hear the Montezuma oropendola’s unforgettable call.)

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.