Michael Warren: Two Great Crested Grebe

Artist: Michael Warren
1938 -
Nationality: British
Artwork Year: 1979
Image Size: 5.875 by 6.6 inches
Overall Size: 8 by 9.875 inches
Medium: Water Color on Water Color Paper

One of the most beautiful of Great Britain's wild birds, the Great Crested Grebe is a familiar sight on lakes and reservoirs. In the nineteenth century these graceful birds were savagely plundered for their thick, silky-soft contour feathers which were used on clothing. In 1860 only forty-two pairs of Grebes were left. This fact gave impetus to England's wild bird protection movement. Today, these lovely birds are seen gracefully diving under water to capture a fish for dinner. However, the Great Crested Grebe is clumsy on land and more dependent on the water than most other swimming birds. Other unusual features also mark these Podicipediformes. Their tail feathers are very soft and small, making them appear tailless. And the courtship ritual is one of the most elaborate and beautiful among all wild birds. They float on the water's surface, facing each other and shaking their graceful heads while they preen, dive and perform an intricate vertical dance on the water. After a pair mates, they share in building their nest. The females always lay at least three eggs and the young can swim as soon as they hatch. When they get tired, they rest in air pockets under their mothers' wings. Completely protected, they go diving with their parents weeks before they can dive themselves. In the autumn these birds form small flocks and stay on inland waters unless freezing weather forces them to warmer climates along the coast.

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood® First Day Cover for the Great Britain Westminster Collector's Society Waterbirds block of four stamps issued January 16, 1980.

Artwork Copyright © 1979 Unicover Corporation. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Images of the Artwork may be watermarked and/or digitally watermarked. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the copyright.

Our Stock Number (SKU): XB05767

US$ Price: $1,475.00

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