Axial Commons Image Treasury
Hand-colored plate of a gray songbird with a red head clinging to a bare branch, beside a leafy sprig with white flowers and red and green berries.

Gray songbird with red head on a branch, Catesby plate

A hand-colored engraved plate from Mark Catesby's natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands shows a gray songbird with a red-marked head, clinging to a bare branch with its head angled downward. Beside it, a leafy sprig bears broad green leaves, small white flowers, and red and green berries on a cream page.

Artist
Mark Catesby
Date
1731-1743
Medium
Illustrated works
Source
Wellcome Collection
Size
2910 × 4000 px
Download full size
Public domain · Wellcome Collection marks it Public Domain Mark; made by 1743.
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: Public Domain Mark (Wellcome Collection)

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Wellcome Collection

Maps and Cosmos18th centurynatural historyhand-colored engravingcopperplatebotanical platebird illustrationsongbirdcatesbybahamasberriescarolina

More from Maps and Cosmos

Astronomy: various apocalyptic scenes, including Napoleon III looking at maps, a shipwreck, an assassination [?], and a battle in Africa. Coloured lithograph, [c.1858?].Astronomy: various apocalyptic scenes, including Napoleon III looking at maps, a shipwreckThe natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands: containing the figures of birds, beasts, fishes, serpents, insects, and plants: particularly the forest-trees, shrubs, and other plants, not hitherto described, or very incorrectly figured by authors. Together with their descriptions in English and French. To which are added observations on the air, soil, and waters: with remarks upon agriculture, grain, pulse, roots, &c. To the whole, is prefixed a new and correct map of the countries treated of / By Mark Catesby ... Histoire naturelle de la Caroline, la Floride, & les Isles Bahama: contenant les desseins des oiseaux, animaux, poissons, serpents, insectes, & plantes. Et en particulier, des arbres des forets, arbrisseaux, & autres plantes, qui n'ont point été decrits, jusques à present par les auteurs, ou peu exactement dessinés. Avec leur descriptions en françois & en anglois. A quoi on a adjouté, des observations sur l'air, le sol, & les eaux, avec des remarques sur l'agriculture, les grains, les legumes, les racines, &c. Le tout est precedé d'une carte nouvelle & exacte des païs dont il s'agist.The natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands: containing the figures ofThe natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands: containing the figures of birds, beasts, fishes, serpents, insects, and plants: particularly the forest-trees, shrubs, and other plants, not hitherto described, or very incorrectly figured by authors. Together with their descriptions in English and French. To which are added observations on the air, soil, and waters: with remarks upon agriculture, grain, pulse, roots, &c. To the whole, is prefixed a new and correct map of the countries treated of / By Mark Catesby ... Histoire naturelle de la Caroline, la Floride, & les Isles Bahama: contenant les desseins des oiseaux, animaux, poissons, serpents, insectes, & plantes. Et en particulier, des arbres des forets, arbrisseaux, & autres plantes, qui n'ont point été decrits, jusques à present par les auteurs, ou peu exactement dessinés. Avec leur descriptions en françois & en anglois. A quoi on a adjouté, des observations sur l'air, le sol, & les eaux, avec des remarques sur l'agriculture, les grains, les legumes, les racines, &c. Le tout est precedé d'une carte nouvelle & exacte des païs dont il s'agist.The natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands: containing the figures ofThe natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands: containing the figures of birds, beasts, fishes, serpents, insects, and plants: particularly the forest-trees, shrubs, and other plants, not hitherto described, or very incorrectly figured by authors. Together with their descriptions in English and French. To which are added observations on the air, soil, and waters: with remarks upon agriculture, grain, pulse, roots, &c. To the whole, is prefixed a new and correct map of the countries treated of / By Mark Catesby ... Histoire naturelle de la Caroline, la Floride, & les Isles Bahama: contenant les desseins des oiseaux, animaux, poissons, serpents, insectes, & plantes. Et en particulier, des arbres des forets, arbrisseaux, & autres plantes, qui n'ont point été decrits, jusques à present par les auteurs, ou peu exactement dessinés. Avec leur descriptions en françois & en anglois. A quoi on a adjouté, des observations sur l'air, le sol, & les eaux, avec des remarques sur l'agriculture, les grains, les legumes, les racines, &c. Le tout est precedé d'une carte nouvelle & exacte des païs dont il s'agist.The natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands: containing the figures ofThe natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands: containing the figures of birds, beasts, fishes, serpents, insects, and plants: particularly the forest-trees, shrubs, and other plants, not hitherto described, or very incorrectly figured by authors. Together with their descriptions in English and French. To which are added observations on the air, soil, and waters: with remarks upon agriculture, grain, pulse, roots, &c. To the whole, is prefixed a new and correct map of the countries treated of / By Mark Catesby ... Histoire naturelle de la Caroline, la Floride, & les Isles Bahama: contenant les desseins des oiseaux, animaux, poissons, serpents, insectes, & plantes. Et en particulier, des arbres des forets, arbrisseaux, & autres plantes, qui n'ont point été decrits, jusques à present par les auteurs, ou peu exactement dessinés. Avec leur descriptions en françois & en anglois. A quoi on a adjouté, des observations sur l'air, le sol, & les eaux, avec des remarques sur l'agriculture, les grains, les legumes, les racines, &c. Le tout est precedé d'une carte nouvelle & exacte des païs dont il s'agist.The natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands: containing the figures ofFranklin PierceFranklin Pierce