Historically, Road Runners were the most-depicted bird after Eagles and Hawks. I don’t know of a single turkey or chicken, at least not in the Southwest. It is very stylized, but I’m pretty sure it’s a Road Runner - “BEEP BEEP!”
@Kimbe Plenty of NA birds out there are shown with more upright tail feathers than ever are shown on roadrunners. Ancient Puebloans in the SW (Anasazi) domesticated turkeys and depicted them on ancestral pottery. Images of similar birds in more recent NA pottery, metalwork, and jewelry are routinely described as being turkeys.
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna35186605
The elusive short legged road runner.
Artistic license I guess.
Ooh! I love those turkey pottery pieces.
Both by Acoma pottery matriarch Lucy Lewis. ![]()
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it’s def a turkey! all sorts of birds are common in native jewelry and other art!! don’t forget quail, parrots, jays, and hummingbirds! even owls sometimes.
I have seen most pf those, but I don’t think I have ever seen a Native American parrot.
@chris Lots of parrot (macaw) images in Hopi, Acoma, Zia, and Laguna pottery. Ancient Puebloans evidently kept macaws, via trade with Mesoamerica, so these communities knew the bird form.
Acoma potters really love the parrot form, and it was the first image that drew me to Acoma pottery. I have a great Acoma bowl with parrots all around, each one drawn a little differently.
In Hopi pottery and jewelry, parrot feathers and beaks are generally stylized:
In historic jewelry, Victor Coochwytewa and Bernard Dawahoya (Hopi) sometimes featured parrot beaks or feathers (no affiliation with this seller).
https://www.etsy.com/listing/614987839/victor-coochwytewa-hopi-sterling-silver?gpla=1&gao=1&
Glad you identified that as a parrot. Even smoking something I could never have made that to be a parrot. ![]()
I have this Zia pottery bird. Several articles I read on Zia pottery says these particular birds are roadrunners, but the Zia potters often referred to them simply as “Zia birds.” I’m not really sure what kind of bird it looks like. I call it my startled bird ![]()
Great bird. Maybe after some peyote it might become more clear. ![]()
He kind of looks like he might have had some peyote…
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You took the words right out of my mouth @StevesTrail
Absolutely gorgeous design but, for the life of me, I couldn’t have figured out that it might have been some type of bird.
@Ziacat omg, he does liok a bit off kilter
Poor birdie. He’s actually really cute, though.
I would never have guessed parrot either. But very cool and interesting!!!
I love it! The two feathers on to almost look like ears!
hubby and I refer to that as a “zia chicken”
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