The celebrated and highly valued natural history classic, now fully reproduced for the 1st time with an introduction by world-renowned ornithologist David Allen Sibley Featuring 435 stunning images of Audubon's original watercolors, this is the perfect addition to any bird lover's library First published in installments between 1827 and 1838, John James Audubon's treasured collection of life-sized watercolors of North American birds is the standard against which all wildlife illustration is measured. With fewer than 120 surviving copies in museums and private collections, this volume was created in conjunction with the Natural History Museum in London which disbound 1 of their 2 original editions in the process for the first time. This stunning nearly 500 page, 8x12 reissue contains: 435 exquisite reproductions of hand-colored prints of the original watercolorsDetailed descriptions of American birds and their natural habitats, organized alphabetically from the avocet grazing in a tidal pond to the zenaida dove perched on a flowering branchExpertly researched by an avid outdoorsman and explorer, the stunning illustrations are based on Audubon's specimen collections from Florida to Labrador to Texas and the DakotasStraddling the line between science and art, this book mesmerized 19th-century audiences around the world. Today it stands as a reminder of the spectacular biodiversity of the North American continent, and of the pioneer spirit that Audubon himself revered.