sciencenetlinks: TODAY IN SCIENCE: John Audubon Is Born John James Audubon was born on this day in
sciencenetlinks: TODAY IN SCIENCE: John Audubon Is Born John James Audubon was born on this day in 1785 in Santo Domingo (modern-day Haiti). Artist, naturalist, and ornithologist John James Audubon emigrated to the United States at age 18. Audubon conducted the first bird banding in the United States and developed a technique for preserving birds that enabled him to pose them more realistically for his paintings. He is best known for his remarkable series of illustrations called The Birds of America. Audubon’s ambitious goal was to accurately portray every bird in America, and he explored vast areas of the country to become familiar with the habits of various birds. After finding little support in America for his work, Audubon traveled to Great Britain, where 435 of his illustrations showing 1,065 individual birds were engraved and published as The Birds of America. Audubon marketed the $1,000 four-volume work himself. In recent years, first editions of Audubon’s famous work have sold for $4 million. The National Audubon Society, which was founded in 1905 to protect birds and other wildlife and their habitats, is graced with his name. Learn more. Image Credits: John James Audubon [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. All plates from Birds of America. Plate 26 Carolina Parrot. Plate 175 depicting Nuttall’s lesser-marsh Wren. Plate 177 depicting White-crowned Pigeon. Plate 162 depicting Zenaida Dove. Plate 116 depicting Ferruginous Thrush. Plate 81 depicting Fish Hawk or Osprey. Plate 56 depicting Red-shouldered Hawk. -- source link