a ▁( ▁) ▁or ▁P ias a ▁Bird ▁is ▁a ▁Native ▁American ▁drag on ▁dep icted ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁two ▁mur als ▁painted ▁by ▁Native ▁Americans ▁on ▁bl uff s ▁( cl iffs ides ) ▁above ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River . ▁Its ▁original ▁location ▁was ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁a ▁chain ▁of ▁lim estone ▁bl uff s ▁in ▁Mad ison ▁County , ▁Illinois ▁at ▁present - day ▁Al ton , ▁Illinois . ▁ ▁The ▁original ▁P ias a ▁illustr ation ▁no ▁longer ▁exists ; ▁a ▁newer ▁ 2 0 th - century ▁version , ▁based ▁partly ▁on ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁sketch es ▁and ▁l ith ograph s , ▁has ▁been ▁placed ▁on ▁a ▁bl uff ▁in ▁Al ton , ▁Illinois , ▁several ▁hundred ▁yards ▁up stream ▁from ▁its ▁origin . ▁ ▁The ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁present - day ▁m ural ▁is ▁at ▁ 3 8 . 8 9 8 0 5 5 , ▁- 9 0 . 1 9 9 1 5 . ▁ ▁The ▁lim estone ▁rock ▁quality ▁on ▁the ▁new ▁site ▁is ▁un su ited ▁for ▁holding ▁an ▁image , ▁and ▁the ▁painting ▁must ▁be ▁regularly ▁restored . ▁ ▁The ▁original ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁painting ▁was ▁a ▁high - quality ▁( 6 – 8 ▁foot ▁thick ) ▁layer ▁of ▁l ith ographic ▁lim estone , ▁which ▁was ▁pre domin antly ▁quar ried ▁away ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁by ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁L ime ▁Company . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Mur als ▁The ▁original ▁m ural ▁was