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The wildlife artist John James Audubon lived from April 1785 to January 1851. He is one of the most famous wildlife artists ever and known especially for his bird illustrations.

He was born in Haiti, educated in France then moved to America where he became interested in nature. He did an experiment on birds by tying yarn around their legs, proving that they came back to the exact same nests the next year . . . this was the first ever bird-tagging study.

His bird art began in the same year, which was 1803 and by 1819 his life was mainly focused on his wildlife art. He traveled the length of the Mississippi river with an assistant as well as a gun and his painting equipment. He was determined to paint every bird in America although this had already been done by another artist.

His approach was to first shoot the bird. He then mounted it using wire and then painted it. He usually shot more than one hundred birds in a day and was particularly excited when he was able to shoot a rare bird. Later in life he supported wildlife conservation very strongly and spoke intensely against the continued depletion of wildlife and nature in the USA.

He had to travel to England to get his bird art published because the British had superior printing skills and a great interest in romantic ideas about America including its wildlife.

This book, called “Birds of America” was published in the UK in the late 1930′s. This is now regarded as the greatest picture book that was ever published. It was made at a size of 36 by 26 inches so that the hand-colored aquatints of the birds could mostly be life-size. The companion volume, “Ornithological Biographies”, by Scottish ornithologist William MacGillivray, presented written details on each of the birds illustrated.

It was not until 1942 that “Birds of America” was published in America. Audubon is still one of the most well-known wildlife artists of all time, and certainly the best-known American bird artist.

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