ATM’s Egyptian Vulture
For a long time we have been in awe of the brilliant work of street artist ATM, who paints urban walls with birds threatened with extinction. He has expanded his work to include mammals, invertebrates and marine creatures, all of which are in urgent need of protection.
He has a lifelong love of nature, having grown up surrounded by birds in an abundance which is now a distant memory. He has a particular connection to their songs, calls and the wild spaces they inhabit. His giant wildlife murals fill walls across London to Bristol and on to Poland and Norway (and now Wild Finca!)
Having worked with the ATM on our ‘Last Song of the Nightingale’ documentary, when ATM painted a Nightingale on the tail fin of a Vickers Wellington Bomber in Berkeley Square (see the film of this here), we had stayed in touch and often spoken about ATM coming to paint something at Wild Finca. May 2024 we were able to make it happen! ATM stayed for a week to transform our barn wall into one of our favourite visitors, the Egyptian Vulture!
The Egyptian Vulture is Europe’s rarest vulture, and we are very lucky that they grace the skies over Wild Finca, as well as breeding nearby. Being migratory they suffer many threats, from persecution and habitat loss, to climate change. Locally here we have lost individuals through poisoning events, as well as nest abandonment due to fires.
During ATM’s stay our local pair regularly swung by to admire the work, and now it means we get to enjoy these amazing birds all year round, even when our local pair have headed to Africa for the winter.
It was such a pleasure to paint this in these beautiful surroundings, with the vultures soaring high above, thanks so much for the wall! - ATM
