4The most famous work by America's premier ornithological artist, The Birds of America presented 435 large, hand-colored engravings depicting more than 1,000 birds of 489 species. John James Audubon's historic volume, completed in 1838, was succeeded by the smaller lithographic illustrations of the much more affordable yet highly collectible octavo edition. This new collection contains 130 select plates from the octavo version, featuring splendid, scrupulously accurate portraits of the snowy egret, wild turkey, brown pelican, screech owl, and more.
The birds are identified by both the common names used by Audubon and their modern equivalents. The culmination of the nature illustrator's career, these stunning works offer realistic portrayals of American birds in elegantly spare settings. An informative introduction outlines the artist's life and his work and provides background on the creation of the octavo edition.