The image shows two black terns. The larger bird stands on a rock, while the other is flying. The standing bird is positioned near the bottom center of the image on a light brown rock against a serene background of calm blue water and a distant landscape. The sky is light blue with subtle white clouds. The flying bird dives downwards from the upper left towards the bottom right, displaying its pale gray underbelly and black-tipped wings. The colors in the image include shades of black, gray, blue, and brown.
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The image shows two black terns. The larger bird stands on a rock, while the other is flying. The standing bird is positioned near the bottom center of the image on a light brown rock against a serene background of calm blue water and a distant landscape. The sky is light blue with subtle white clouds. The flying bird dives downwards from the upper left towards the bottom right, displaying its pale gray underbelly and black-tipped wings. The colors in the image include shades of black, gray, blue, and brown.

National Gallery of Art · Print

Black Tern

Robert Havell after John James Audubon

Date
1835
Medium
hand-colored engraving and aquatint on Whatman wove paper
Classification
Print
Accession number
1945.8.280
Credit line
Gift of Mrs. Walter B. James
Time span
1826 to 1850
Department
CG-W

Portfolio and series

Series
The Birds of America: Plate CCLXXX

Subjects and terms

  • American
  • etching
  • aquatint
  • bird
  • animal
  • Water
  • Rock
  • Cloud

NGA object ID 32421. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.