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About Me
I'm Sarah MacLean, a scientist, educator, and artist in love with all aspects of the natural world, especially birds.
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I have a B.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell University and a PhD in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley. My personal research has covered diverse topics in animal behavior, conservation, and ecology, and I have conducted field work in landscapes ranging from lush tropical forests to the remote arctic tundra.
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I am excited to create scientific illustrations spanning a wide range of styles. I hope my work will be entertaining for others who appreciate the natural world, as well as accurate enough to be used by scientists and educators.
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If you like my work, please consider contacting me for a commission, or supporting me on Patreon.
What's a Bennu Bird?
The Bennu Bird was a deity in ancient Egypt, and may have been the inspiration for the phoenix in Greek mythology.
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The Bennu was associated with the gods Ra and Atum, and was said to have played a role in the creation of the world. It was also described as periodically renewing itself like the sun.
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Drawings show the Bennu Bird as a gray heron with a two-feathered crest. The inspiration for the Bennu may have been a large species of heron that once lived on the Arabian Peninsula. The species was named the Bennu heron, Ardea bennuides.
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