Gallery: Spotted Owl, Ambassador for Forest Conservation

Illustration by Liz Wahid; Text by Marc Devokaitis

December 22, 2022

Illustration of a Spotted Owl on a tree. Bird is speckled brown and white, a yellow little bill and big, dark eyes. Long talons clasp the branch in the dark, peaceful woods.

From the Winter 2023 issue of Living Bird magazine. Subscribe now.

2022 Bartels science illustrator Liz Wahid creates art that is inspired and informed by her adventures in birdwatching, as well as her hands-on experience caring for injured raptors as a Cornell University undergraduate (’18), when she worked with the Cornell Raptor Program.

When asked to create a digital painting of a bird to grace a Cornell Lab of Ornithology tote bag (a benefit for Sponsor-level members), Wahid knew she wanted to take on a raptor of some kind: “I chose Northern Spotted Owl to bring in an element of conservation. They’re ambassadors for forest conservation on the West Coast.” She hopes her artwork sparks curiosity so that people will become more interested in the uniqueness of each bird species and more aware of conservation issues.