75x55cm oil on canvas

Billy the kestrel was found by a mechanic, wedged between the radiator of a car. Though he sustained a significant head wound and lost one eye, he has since made a great recovery in care. Because of the nature of his injury, he is vulnerable to larger birds of prey and cannot be released back into the wild.

He is now a permanent resident in a wildlife carer’s home. Because Billy is relatively dependent on humans and used to their presence, he was quite calm with me around. Delightfully, I was able to capture the contented, puffed-up posture that is rarely observed in wild raptors when humans are around.