Prints and Cards by Tim Halliday
CAROLINA PARAKEETS
North America’s only native parrot, the Carolina Parakeet lived in the riverine forests of eastern USA. The last wild specimen was killed in Florida in 1904; the last individual died in Cincinnati Zoo in 1918. Much of its natural habitat has been destroyed. Its
brightly-coloured feathers were collected for the millinery trade and, because it raided orchards, it was shot as a pest by farmers. It fed in flocks and had the unfortunate habitat of gathering around a flock member that had just been killed, making it an easy target.
Print size 330 x 480mm, Edition of 50
Price £85.00
GREAT AUKS
The large, flightless Great Auk was to the north Atlantic what penguins are to the southern oceans. It was the first bird to be called ‘penguin’, from the Latin pinguis, meaning ‘fat’. Hunted for its meat and feathers as well as its fat, it was regarded as a God-given resource by sailors exploring the north Atlantic. Agile and swift in the water, it was clumsy when it came ashore to breed and was easily clubbed to death. A volcanic eruption off Iceland destroyed one of its remoter breeding colonies in 1830 and, in 1852, it was seen for the last time.
Print size 330 x 480mm, Edition of 50
Price £85.00
HUIAS
The Huia lived on New Zealand’s North Island and fed largely on insect larvae. It is believed that the male used his shorter, more robust beak to break up dead wood in search of food, while the female probed for them with her longer, more delicate beak. This marked sexual dimorphism in beak shape made the Huia unique among birds. Last seen in 1907, Huias were driven to extinction by the destruction of New Zealand’s native forests. They were also hunted, by Maoris for their tail feathers, and by European naturalists because of their unusual anatomy.
Print size 330 x 480mm, Edition of 50
Price £85.00
KAUAI OO
A honey-eater, the Kauai Oo (pronounced ‘Oh-oh’) lived only on the Hawaiian island of Kauai and became extinct in 1987. Its decline was due to a variety of factors that adversely affected many of Hawaii’s endemic birds: deforestation, introduced rats, pigs and goats, and avian malaria. In 1826 the Night Mosquito was accidentally introduced to the Hawaiian islands. This carries malaria and other diseases to which native species had evolved no immunity. In addition, two hurricanes destroyed many of the older trees where Oos nested.
Print size 330 x 480mm, Edition of 50
Price £85.00
PASSENGER PIGEONS
In 1866, a flock of Passenger Pigeons passing over Ontario was estimated to be one mile wide, 300 miles long, and to contain 3.5 billion birds. In 1914, the very last Passenger Pigeon, called Martha, died in Cincinnati Zoo. A native of eastern North America, the Passenger Pigeon was driven to extinction by a combination of deforestation and intensive hunting. It was the main ingredient of a tourtiére, a meat pie of French-Canadian origin, that was used to feed slaves and poor people. A very sociable bird, it was lured to its death by ‘stool-pigeons’, live individuals tethered to a small wooden stool.
Print size 330 x 480mm, Edition of 50
Price £85.00
PINK-HEADED DUCKS
An inhabitant of what was previously Bengal, the Pink-headed Duck has not been reliably seen since 1935. It is probably extinct, though it may survive in remote parts of Myanmar. Its decline was primarily due to hunting; it was valued for its unusual plumage rather than its meat, as it was considered poor eating.
Print size 330 x 480mm, Edition of 50
Price £85.00