What sort of tree this pretty yellow bird prefers may be unclear, but we know he now lives in the public domain. It’s from an 1810 natural history encyclopedia entitled Abbildungen naturhistorischer Gegenstände : No. 1-100.
The author labeled this feathered fellow as a Certhia Sannio. While these older texts have such beautiful drawings, it seems that many of their species names have been changed. I can find sannios – white-browed laughingthrush. The only laughingthrush with yellow and red on their heads is the bare-headed laughingthrush. The original German text makes reference to New Zealand, a possible match for a laughingthrush. But, comparing pictures, this fellow looks a bit more like a tanager. If I had to guess, this drawing was from a botanist’s notes and not real life and the artist may have accidentally captured a bird he was more familiar with.
Regardless of what species this pretty yellow bird may belong, it’s still a lovely bird drawing for your creative endeavors. With his yellow body, red mask and black wings, he is a striking fellow for sure.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
