© Robert McNamara 1998/Science Art-Birds

Title: Boulderfield--White-tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus leucurus)
Artist: Robert McNamara (for further information, click on the artist's name)
Image size: 24" x 32"
Media: acrylic
Date: 1998
Private collection


The White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits high elevations and latitudes in North America and is often found in small groups. The birds forage in an apparently barren landscape exposed and seemingly vulnerable but, when threatened, their coloration and behavior allow them to go undetected by holding still and blending into the rocks.

The painting seeks to recreate the experience of hiking in this unforgiving landscape and suddenly realizing there is a bird standing at your feet. Once you stop and study the surrounding rocks you may see many others within a short distance away. One bird in the painting is conspicuous, the other 4 are a little harder to find.

Another difficult to detect aspect of their unforgiving landscape is the presence of toxic cadmium from abandoned mines. Birds foraging on willow growing in cadmium-rich soils are subject to kidney damage, thin, brittle bones, and fragile eggshells.