Better Birding Book Club

When thinking about the birds that surround us, we quickly acknowledge their grace, beauty, and versatility. Less frequently, however, do we consider their effect on our physical and mental health and the way we think about and practice social, economic, and environmental justice. In this book club, we investigate the joys and benefits of birdwatching, as well as more serious topics like how birds get their names, the heightening impact of environmental changes on birds, and the inherent inequity and assumptions built into the birding practice. Join book club host and bird-enthusiast Brenda the fourth Tuesday of each month to talk books, birds, and bettering the world together.

This month we are reading The Birds That Audubon Missed by Kenn Kaufman. The Better Birding book club will meet at 5:30 PM on Tuesday, July 22nd.

Raging ambition. Towering egos. Competition under a veneer of courtesy. Heroic effort combined with plagiarism, theft, exaggeration, and fraud. This was the state of bird study in eastern North America during the early 1800s, as a handful of intrepid men raced to find the last few birds that were still unknown to science.

The most famous name in the bird world was John James Audubon, who painted spectacular portraits of birds. But although his images were beautiful, creating great art was not his main goal. Instead, he aimed to illustrate (and write about) as many different species as possible, obsessed with trying to outdo his rival, Alexander Wilson. George Ord, a fan and protégé of Wilson, held a bitter grudge against Audubon for years, claiming he had faked much of his information and his scientific claims. A few of Audubon’s birds were pure fiction, and some of his writing was invented or plagiarized. Other naturalists of the era, including Charles Bonaparte (nephew of Napoleon), John Townsend, and Thomas Nuttall, also became entangled in the scientific derby, as they stumbled toward an understanding of the natural world—an endeavor that continues to this day.

Despite this intense competition, a few species—including some surprisingly common songbirds, hawks, sandpipers, and more—managed to evade discovery for years. Here, renowned bird expert and artist Kenn Kaufman explores this period in history from a new angle, by considering the birds these people discovered and, especially, the ones they missed. Kaufman has created portraits of the birds that Audubon never saw, attempting to paint them in that artist’s own stunning style, showing how our understanding of birds continues to gain clarity, even as some mysteries persist from Audubon’s time until ours

Purchase a copy to read, or grab it from the library, and join us at Dog·Eared Books at 5:30 PM on July 22nd, to discuss the book with book club host Brenda! This book club is free to anyone who wishes to participate, no registration necessary.

Also, for 20 minutes after each club meeting, you will receive 20% off all books and merchandise!

For further readings, resources, and to continue the conversation after club ends join the Better Birding Book Club Discord!