Birds of Buffalo, a printed ceramic tile and hand-cut glass mosaic, depicts hundreds of birds flying across the platform wall of the DL&W terminal. These flocks, drawn by hand, consist of the first sightings of birds in 2024 at Tifft Nature Center, a restored wetland that is a short distance from the terminal.
On a wall of the education center at Tifft hangs a poster with a handwritten list confirming visitors' First of the Year Bird Sightings. Birds of Buffalo is based on the 2024 list, depicting 154 species and arranged in loose chronological order from January through December. Unlike a typical flock comprised of a single species, this group showcases the genetic diversity of life found in Buffalo. Each species on the list is represented by one or several drawings using ink, watercolor and marker translated into printed high-fired ceramic tile and glass mosaic.
The artwork is inspired by the natural ecosystem of the outer harbor and life it supports while paying homage to Roger Tory Peterson, renowned Jamestown-born naturalist, who published the first Field Guide to the Birds in 1934. The light rail platform stretches over 300 feet in length and Birds of Buffalo activates the full length of the platform, delighting and familiarizing visitors with a colorful array of the non-humans we share space with.
