Origin of "Bird of the Year"

“Bird of the Year,” one of the paintings that I sold at my 2014 show in Seattle, got its title from something I had written with my husband back in 2009.

When I began painting the large bird, I remembered the title, but I’d forgotten about this little poem until Jim found it on his computer.

Is that a tweet, or a squawk
Is it a sparrow, or a hawk?
Is that a quack, or a cluck,
Is it a chicken or a duck?
Is that a beak, or a bill?
What kind of bird upon the sill?

It’s the bird of the year,
The bird of the year!

Is it a cardinal or a jay?
Does it matter anyway?
A starling or a sparrow?
We’ll all find out tomorrow.

It’s the bird of the year,
The bird of the year!

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