Pennant-Winged Nightjar, Plate 5, Birds of Western Africa

A hand-colored engraving shows a nightjar perched on a bare branch, its long pennant-like tail feathers trailing down past a tree-lined landscape with palms. Fine hatching models the bird's mottled brown plumage, and the scene is rendered in soft grey tones. A caption and plate number appear at the bottom and top of the sheet.

Artist

William Home Lizars

Date

1837

Medium

Engraving, brush and watercolor on paper

Source

Smithsonian (Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum)

Size

1287 × 1920 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Smithsonian Institution, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum