Unknown Bird, Anselmus Boëtius de Boodt, 1596 - 1610
brush, h 175mm × w 172mm More details
According to the Latin inscription in the upper left corner, this bird could fly backwards and eat bees. However, these characteristics do not correspond to any particular species of bird. Only the hummingbird flies backwards, but this bird bears no resemblance to it. Moreover, the similarities with bee-eaters are hard to find. Did De Boodt perhaps base his drawing of this flying creature solely on a written source?
