The Birds That Audubon Missed: Discovery and Want within the American Wilderness is about birds and taxonomy, historical past and artwork, the birding god we have now revered and torn down, the ornithological originals we’ve ignored or just don’t know. It’s additionally about private journeys, the place data comes from and the way it’s shared, investigating the previous by means of the lens of historical past and the lens of knowledgeable creativeness, studying the right way to negotiate the grays of our ornithological heritage, and the magic of discovery. I wouldn’t count on something much less from Kenn Kaufman, author, illustrator, editor, and birder extraordinaire. It’s a decidedly completely different path for the writer of Kingbird Freeway (1997), Kaufman Discipline Information to Birds of North America (2005), and A Season on the Wind: Contained in the World of Spring Migration (2019), to quote simply three of his books, and one which I completely loved, underlined with power, and am nonetheless interested by.
In The Birds That Audubon Missed Kaufman seems again to the golden age of ornithology in North America, the late 18th and Nineteenth centuries, when birds had been found and named and painted and described. There have been additionally many birds, he factors out, that our birding fathers (sadly, no ‘moms’ except you rely the affected person Lucy Audubon, and we in all probability ought to) didn’t describe and paint. And a few birds they described that didn’t exist or had been actually birds already described and named. It’s an enchanting forged of formidable and sensible characters: John James Audubon, self-involved with a core of inventive genius, additionally Alexander Wilson, Charles Lucien Bonaparte, Mark Catesby, George Ord, Spencer Baird, John Townsend, and plenty of others, with visitor appearances by Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and some up to date figures–Roger Tory Peterson and Victor Emanuel. Their discoveries, writings, artwork, and lives are woven out and in of chapters targeted on fowl households (thrushes, shorebirds, warblers), locations (Florida, Texas), vital factors in North American ornithological historical past (Wilson versus Audubon in Philadelphia), and the massive matters of taxonomy and conservation.
Kaufman says he labored on this e-book for 5 years and it exhibits within the depth of analysis, scope of matter, and the magnificence of his writing. He brings collectively historic and scientific timelines, taxonomic descriptions, biographical anecdotes, entries from explorers’ journals, current scholarship (notably Matthew R. Halley’s analysis on Audubon) and private reminiscences to convey to life the passions and mundane realities of this age of avian discovery and to research precisely why Audubon (and Wilson and different early ornithologists) didn’t illustrate or describe various acquainted birds. The record consists of Swainson’s and Grey-cheeked Thrushes, Philadelphia Vireo, Caspian Tern, Western and Baird’s Sandpipers, Snail Kite, Carolina Chickadee, King Rail, Thick-billed Longspur, Kirtland’s Warbler, Western and Clark’s Grebes, and a number of other of the Empidonax flycatchers. It’s not all the time a straight line to the reply.
Clearly, many of those absences are from households nonetheless complicated birders immediately–sandpipers, flycatchers, thrushes, warbles. And, in fact, 18th-and Nineteenth-century naturalists didn’t have our optics and communication applied sciences. Much less apparent, and what Kaufman does such a fantastic job of delineating, is the state of ornithological thought on the time, the lack of information about migration patterns, seasonal plumage modifications, geographic variations, and the emphasis on identification by bodily options, excluding voice. (Kaufman additionally makes clear that data about North American birds didn’t begin with Catesby, Wilson, Audubon, and so on., that there have been numerous peoples right here earlier than Europeans began naming birds, who had their very own experience.)
pages 8 & 9, Lincoln’s Sparrow by John James Audubon and textual content by Kenn Kaufman, © 2024 Kenn Kaufman
The protocol for who bought to assert credit score for locating a fowl species was an necessary issue. It’s a protocol nonetheless in place immediately–first individual to explain the fowl will get the credit score and will get to call the fowl. Within the time of Wilson and Audubon, fowl discovery was additionally an entryway to distinction, cash, and what we immediately name movie star. That is the foundation of the rivalry between Alexander Wilson (and his followers) and the larger-than-life John James Audubon, the self-styled “American Woodsman” who had crafted a persona {that a} actuality TV star would envy. A lot of this materials takes place in “Feuding in Philadelphia,” an aptly named central chapter, however Audubon’s eagerness to search out new fowl species echoes all through the e-book; we see him describe “new” species that exist already, insert himself into adventures skilled by his companions, even fabricate birds (notably, his Chicken of Washington). All of the early ornithologists made errors in species identification; Audubon’s usually appeared rooted extra in ambition and mythmaking than ignorance and confusion. Kaufman is clear-eyed concerning the many sides of the person, expressing anger at his historical past of proudly owning slaves, respect for his inventive genius, and questioning within the final chapters how we will reconcile the nice and the evil of Audubon and, certainly, a lot of our historic leaders.
Different materials, notably sections tracing out the historic taxonomic puzzles, could be a bit difficult. Within the chapter “A Thicket of Thrushes,” for instance, Kaufman traces the traces of confusion that surrounded the outline and naming of Japanese thrushes, beginning with Mark Catesby’s write-up of “Little Thrush” in 1731. Successive naturalists described and drew extra Little Thrushes, every considerably completely different, combining options of Hermit Thrush, Veery, Grey-cheeked Thrush, and Wooden Thrush, and typically a attribute that didn’t apply to any of them. Alexander Wilson wrote descriptions of Wooden Thrush, Hermit Thrush, and Little Thrush, stating that his Hermit Thrush was primarily based on earlier descriptions of Little Thrush and that his Little Thrush was a brand new species. Audubon illustrated and wrote a couple of Tawny Thrush which regarded prefer it might be a Veery or Grey-cheeked Thrush (relying on who you learn) however whose description may have utilized to any of the thrushes; he painted a Little Tawny Thrush which he later renamed Dwarf Thrush in his description, declaring it a brand new species. The thoughts reels. Kaufman patiently goes by means of each thrush iteration, naming naturalists and books, outlining fashionable interpretations, permitting us to understand simply how loopy it was to be a naturalist within the golden age of discovery, the nice alternatives for locating treasure (new birds), the massive gaps in commentary and data that allowed charismatic naturalists to create birds that didn’t exist.
This isn’t a biography of Audubon nor a straight-forward historical past of his instances, as Kaufman factors out in his first chapter. Traditionally oriented chapters, boldly numbered and titled, are separated by briefer sections known as “Channeling the Illustrator.” Right here Kaufman presents his progress and ideas as an artist; he has set himself the duty of drawing the birds Audubon missed as Audubon would have painted them (although with out capturing them). This very private venture was initially motivated by his overview of Nationwide Audubon Society’s on-line gallery of all the colour plates from Audubon’s Birds of America, the place he first realized Audubon’s vital misses, after which pushed to really implementation by Covid isolation. If this was a novel, it could be known as a story framing gadget, and it really works in a lot the identical manner right here, enabling Kaufman to touch upon Audubon’s inventive approach and creativity, to imaginatively strategy and worth him by means of his drawings in methods he can’t within the historic context. It additionally offers us extra info on how Audubon created his pictures, the instruments and processes he used. I actually loved these sections.
Kaufman’s inventive endeavors are introduced all through the e-book, in black-and-white drawings and within the 8-page coloration insert of 11 of Kaufman’s work. (The picture of Swainson’s Thrush proven beneath is definitely introduced in black-and-white on web page 89 and once more in coloration within the insert. The picture I used is probably from the Kindle version or put collectively by the advertising and marketing division, it was downloaded from the e-book’s Amazon web page.) We are able to additionally see a few of Audubon’s work are additionally introduced all through, illustrating tales such because the creation of his “Chicken of Washington” and puzzles reminiscent of his “Schinz’s Sandpipers,” considered White-rumped Sandpipers however painted with out the white rump (so perhaps the then unknown Baird’s Sandpiper).
Swainson’s Thrush by Kenn Kaufman, © 2024 Kenn Kaufman
The Birds That Audubon Missed gives a two-page “Additional Studying” record of books on ornithological historical past and biographies of Audubon, Wilson, and a number of other different individuals of observe featured within the e-book. It doesn’t have a bibliography, which I very a lot missed. I particularly would have appreciated citations to Matthew Halley’s analysis, which is cited all through the e-book, and to Rick Wright’s weblog (Wright’s work will not be cited, however you may’t learn this e-book and never take into consideration his related investigations of ornithological questions utilizing open-source historic sources. Each he and Halley are thanked with generosity of spirit within the Acknowledgements). I perceive what the issue may need been–Kaufman used many sources (he says in Acknowledgments that he “learn 1000’s of pages of publications from the 1700’s and 1800’s”) and itemizing them in a proper bibliography was in all probability out of the pale for a well-liked nature e-book revealed by a mainstream writer. Thankfully, all older titles can simply be discovered within the on-line Biodiversity Heritage Library, as Kaufman factors out, and Halley and Wright’s articles are additionally simply discovered on-line. There’s additionally a superb index, which I discovered very useful in penning this overview.
Identified primarily for his big-year bildungsroman, Kingbird Freeway (1997), his subject guides on fowl, butterfly, insect, and mammal identification (some co-edited with partner Kimberly Kaufman), and his writings on migration as seen from his beloved house in Ohio, The Birds That Audubon Missed: Discovery and Want within the American Wilderness could appear to be a dramatic change of path for Kaufman. I don’t assume so in any respect. North American ornithology and birding has an enchanting historical past that hasn’t been explored sufficient, and Kaufman clearly has a curiosity and love for all issues birds and birding tradition, previous and current.
Kaufman makes clear that his motivation for penning this e-book is private, to reply mental and inventive questions. But it is being revealed at a time when the birding group is grappling with the dual controversies of the Audubon identify and the names of birds, and Kaufman writes about these points in the previous couple of chapters, presenting them in a historic context that needs to be informative to readers not from the birding group. Maybe extra importantly, Kaufman talks concerning the chance for discovery within the current age. The golden age of fowl discovery, characterised by particular person obsession, weapons, and an abundance of birds, ended within the Eighteen Eighties. “However that wasn’t the top. Modifications in definitions, modifications in understanding, and modifications in strategies would hold the age of discovery alive” (p. 347). Subspecies, identification of species by name observe, DNA analysis, launched species, explosion of species’ boundaries as a consequence of launched apple snails, communication networks that permit for in depth teamwork–these are the weather of discovery immediately, and all birders can take part.
I extremely suggest The Birds That Audubon Missed: Discovery and Want within the American Wilderness to all birders and naturalists, these getting into the sphere and people with prolonged life lists. Its distinctive mix of ornithological taxonomic historical past and biography, analytic critique and private memoir, written in an enticing type that entertains, enlightens, and educates. This can be a fantastic addition to Kenn Kaufman’s lengthy record of books and his remaining dedication to non-public discovery is inspiring in some ways. I noticed an American Flamingo in East Hampton, New York two days in the past, a number of miles from the place I used to summer time with my daughter, 100 miles the place John James and Lucy Audubon spent their final days. Possibly not an official “discovery,” however one which lifted my coronary heart. Possibly I’ll even draw that Flamingo and consider Lucy.
The Birds That Audubon Missed: Discovery and Want within the American Wilderness
by Kenn Kaufman
Simon & Schuster, Might 2024
400pp. illus.
ISBN-10 1668007592; ISBN-13:978-1668007594
Hardcover $32.50 (reductions from the standard sources); additionally obtainable in Kindle and different codecs.
