Portrait of John James Audubon - White House Historical Association (White House Collection)
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Birds are Art!
Greeting BYJ'ers! Did you know that you can become famous just by drawing birds?
That's what made John James Audubon famous! During the early 1800s, Audubon explored America, painting the birds that he saw in his travels. Many of the birds that he painted were unknown to science. Some, like the Carolina parakeet, are now extinct.
Today, Audubon is so famous that an original copy of his book, The Birds of America, is worth over a million dollars.
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John James Audubon's White and Brown Ibis illustration (Courtesy of Thirteen/WNET)
John James Audubon is the subject of an upcoming TV show on PBS! Find out more
John James Audubon's Snowy Egret illustration (Courtesy of Thirteen/WNET)
What bird is that?How can I identify the birds that I see?
People that study birds look for clues called field marks. What color is the bird? What is the bird's shape?
Is its beak long and thin or short and thick? What color and shape are the legs?
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John James Audubon's Carolina Parrots illustration (Courtesy of Thirteen/WNET)
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Now you can be a bird artist like Audubon!
- Go outside and find some birds!
- Draw your birds and submit them as discoveries in the Backyard Jungle bird drawing contest by July 31, 2007.
- Make sure to check the box that asks you if you created your discovery for the Audubon challenge. You will see that box when you submit your discovery.
We'll feature your drawings on the Backyard Jungle home page.
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Don't forget to post all your pictures and drawings and add them to your backyards!