'I'iwi

This painting by Roger Tory Peterson is of the 'i'iwi, a Hawaiian forest bird. Peterson's depiction of the bird pays homage to its brilliant scarlet plumage. The 'i'iwi is in the honeycreeper family and has a distinctive long, curving bill that is thought to be an adaptation for feeding on long, tubular flowers. Like many endemic Haiwaiian birds, the 'i'iwi is threatened by avain malaria and seeks refuge in high mountains where it is too cool for the mosquito, which carries the disease. This painting is one of over 3,000 small-scale watercolors commissioned by the National Wildlife Federation and used for their conservation stamps. The stamps were produced from the 1930s-1990s to promote the mission and work of the National Wildlife Federation.