Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
The Birds of America
References
Images
American White Pelican Hand-colored engraving by John James Audubon showing three blue jays perched on a flowering branch, with vibrant blue feathers and detailed botanical elements. Hand-colored engraving by John James Audubon showing a group of Carolina Parrots with green bodies and yellow heads perched on bare branches. Hand-colored engraving by John James Audubon showing two Iceland or gyrfalcons; one stands on a rocky ledge eating prey, while the other spreads its wings above. summer tanager
Britannica AI Icon

The Birds of America

work by Audubon
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

American White Pelican
American White Pelican American White Pelican, 1836, hand-coloured engraving and aquatint by Robert Havell, Jr., after John James Audubon, plate 311 from The Birds of America by John James Audubon; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

The Birds of America is a landmark work by John James Audubon, featuring 435 hand-colored plates of North American birds. Audubon, an ornithologist and artist, dedicated his life to documenting avian life with remarkable artistic skill, though his work has also drawn criticism for inaccuracies and his personal history as a white supremacist and enslaver.1

His publication, The Birds of America, was a significant undertaking, with the first edition published in London between 1827 and 1838. The accompanying text was written by William MacGillivray. The work's success encouraged other naturalists, including Alexander Wilson, who had previously published American Ornithology, a foundational work in American ornithology.12

Despite artistic critiques, Audubon's work is celebrated for its artistic merit and inspired the founding of conservation organizations like the National Audubon Society. However, due to Audubon's personal history, some chapters of the organization have distanced themselves from his name, while the national society continues to use it, viewing it as a symbol of conservation efforts.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
  1. John James Audubon
  2. Alexander Wilson
  3. bird

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.