John Swatsley (American, B. 1937) "Tawny Eagle" Signed lower right. Original Acrylic painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 22c Official Mail stamp issued January 29, 1985. Most wild birds prefer to stay as far away from man as possible. But the Tawny Eagle is the only eagle known to normally associate with man. This occurs in northern Africa and India, part of the range of the Tawny Eagle. The Tawny Eagle, so named because of its tawny brown color, inhabits enormous tracts of land containing open grasslands, mountainous country and savannas. It ranges from central Europe east to southern Siberia, Africa, New Guinea and Australia. The Tawny Eagle is one of the most numerous of all eagles and in Africa alone, the territory in which the Tawny's are found covers almost five million square miles. In that area there are as many as 250,000 pairs of Tawny Eagles. One of the reasons the Tawny Eagle is so successful is its ability to adapt to virtually any environment rather than specializing in one particular habitat or type of prey. Another reason is that the Tawny Eagles migrate when necessary, allowing them to concentrate in areas where food is temporarily abundant. Versatility is the key to survival for the Tawny Eagles. Consequently, they feed on diverse foods ranging from insects to dead elephants. Unlike most eagles, which nest in the high treetops, Tawny Eagles normally nest on the ground in nests which resemble inverted cones. While some of its habits differ from most eagles, the Tawny Eagle is still a magnificent and noble bird. Image Size: 14 x 11.5 in. Overall Size: 20.5 x 18 in. Unframed. (B09486) See More