226th Birthday of John James Audubon

 

 

Only seems right that if Google are celebrating (its their banner I’ve pinched above) then a blog dedicated to birding should too so here’s a few facts pinched from Wikipedia!

“Audubon's influence on ornithology and natural history was far reaching. Nearly all later ornithological works were inspired by his artistry and high standards. Charles Darwin quoted Audubon three times in On the Origin of Species and also in later works. Despite some errors in field observations, he made a significant contribution to the understanding of bird anatomy and behavior through his field notes. Birds of America is still considered one of the greatest examples of book art. Audubon discovered 25 new species and 12 new subspecies.  He was elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Linnaean Society, and the Royal Society in recognition of his contributions.”

We were very lucky to be given a copy of “The Audubon’s Society Baby Elephant Portfolio Birds of America” - a beautiful book if not a little heavy at 8Kg if you ever get a chance to browse a copy then do so you wont regret it.