John James Audubon is famed as an ornithologist, largely because of his detailed illustrations of North American birds. He became famous after the publication of his meticulous and accurate paintings. His extensive work, The Birds of America, features lifelike artwork of birds he saw in his travels across the United States. It is still considered the most detailed and complete ornithological work ever completed. The 435 hand-painted images depict birds Audubon saw during his extensive travels and were created between 1827 and 1839.
In the course of his study of birds, Audubon identified many previously unidentified species. As he traveled up the Missouri River, he began to hear the song of the Western Meadow Lark. He observed that the bird’s songs were different from the larks found in the east and identified it as a distinct species. The Western Meadowlark is the state bird of North Dakota.
Audubon made a significant contribution to the understanding of bird anatomy and behavior. He is credited with discovering twenty-five new species. The Birds of America is still considered to be one of the finest examples of book art. Lesser known but equally impressive are Audubon’s paintings of the quadrupeds of the Great Plains. He painted everything from bison, white-tailed deer and big horn sheep to prairie dogs and rabbits.
In the early 1900s, Two Boston women, Harriet Hemenway and Minna B. Hall, were growing concerned over the near extinction of entire species. At the time, fashion required that women’s hats were lavishly decorated with the feathers of native birds. On this date in 1905, the women launched the first Audubon Society, naming it in honor of the famous ornithologist. While associated with birds because of the name, the Audubon Society has been instrumental in influencing conservation laws that protect endangered the environment as a whole. The 1910 Audubon Plumage law protected wading birds. The 1918 Migratory Bird Act protects non-game birds in the United States. The Society strongly supported the 1973 Endangered Species Act.
Audubon Great Plains is the regional office of the National Audubon Society. It serves North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. The North Dakota office is located in Fargo. The regional organization focuses on improving and restoring bird habitats, believing that “where birds thrive, people prosper.”
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- ND Studies. “John James Audubon, Exploring the Upper Missouri.” https://www.ndstudies.gov/gr8/content/unit-ii-time-transformation-1201-1860/lesson-2-making-living/topic-4-explorers/section-4-john-james-audubon-exploring-upper-missouriAccessed 12/16/2025.
- Audubon. “The History of Audubon and Bird Conservation.” htttps://www.audubon.org/about/historyAccessed 12/16/2025.
- Audubon Great Plains. “About Us.” https://greatplains.audubon.org/about-usAccessed 12/16/2025.
