White-throated Sparrow by Maggie Rodriguez

Take heed to the chook on this mural!

Painted: 9/15/2025

Concerning the Mural: On this mural by artist Maggie Rodriguez, a White-throated Sparrow flies in to perch on a vine of native Virginia rose. As a part of the Audubon Mural Project—a public-art initiative drawing consideration to birds which can be weak to extinction from local weather change—NYC Parks’ Artwork within the Parks program and NYC Parks GreenThumb labored with the Nationwide Audubon Society, Gitler &_____ Gallery, and native artists to design murals in neighborhood gardens throughout the town. Via a collaborative course of between the companions, artist, and backyard group, every mural was designed to characteristic climate-threatened birds in addition to native plants that birds depend on for meals and shelter. By creating vibrant city inexperienced areas, neighborhood gardeners present important help for birds and other people. Discover extra murals from the collaboration here.

This mural was created with Phoenix Gate Community Garden, a inexperienced area in Jamaica, Queens. Backyard director Carlos Bolanos says when he first moved to the neighborhood, the lot was in disrepair, however over the previous few years, neighbors have come collectively to revitalize the area. Immediately, it’s a flourishing neighborhood hub that provides folks an area to reconnect with nature and study abilities equivalent to modern gardening methods and woodworking. It additionally has develop into an area birding hotspot, because it gives meals and shelter to native and migratory species. “It is a protected haven for a bunch of birds that we haven’t seen on this space for a very long time,” Bolanos says. 

Concerning the Chook: The White-throated Sparrow—with its distinctive black, white, and yellow head markings and candy, whistled music—gives a well-recognized sight in jap woods and thickets. The birds are likely to forage collectively in massive flocks, hopping alongside the bottom searching for seeds and bugs—a communal strategy that resonates with the backyard area, Bolanos factors out. “They excel in communities of their very own, and that matches rather well with what we’re doing,” he says.

Immediately, White-throated Sparrows stay frequent and widespread, although the birds appear to have declined in current a long time. Local weather change poses additional threats: If warming continues at its present tempo, the species is projected to lose 88 p.c of its present summer time vary, in keeping with Audubon’s Survival By Degrees report. Taking motion to restrict warming might help guarantee these sparrows can thrive on a wider vary of habitats into the long run. In the meantime, preserving pockets of inexperienced area like neighborhood gardens—and populating them with native vegetation—gives essential areas for birds to relaxation and refuel.

Concerning the Artist: Maggie Rodriguez is a New York Metropolis-based artist and counselor. Although she was born within the metropolis, Rodriguez was raised in Colombia, the place her mom is from and the place she gained an appreciation for connecting with nature. Her work as a counselor has additionally impressed upon her the significance of inexperienced areas for psychological well being: “Folks must be out extra and getting their fingers soiled,” Rodriguez says.

For her backyard shed mural—the primary mural she’s accomplished, after primarily working in smaller-scale artwork and design—Rodriguez selected the White-throated Sparrow to represent resilience and the Virginia rose to signify pioneers. “To me, it symbolizes all of the households arriving right here searching for a greater future,” she says. The artist hopes her mural will assist welcome extra folks into the backyard area and remind them to understand the character round them. Rodriguez herself has a gentle spot for metropolis birds like sparrows and pigeons that are likely to get taken without any consideration. “Folks simply get used to them,” she says. “They don’t understand that you simply’re sharing area with this different creature that makes issues stunning.”