Birds of a Feather
John James Audubon, French-American,
1785-1851
Pigeon Hawk (detail)
Plate 92, from Birds of America Current name: Merlin, Falco columbarius
“When the Reed-birds, the Redwings, and Soras, shall have become so scarce... when the margins of our rivers shall have been drained and ploughed to the very tide-mark; when the Grouse shall have to be protected by gamelaws; when Turkeys shall no longer be met with in the wild state; - how strange will the tale which I now tell sound in the ears of those who may walk along the banks of these rivers, and over the fields which have occupied the place of these marshes!” Audubon
Audubon describes the pigeon hawk hunting amongst huge flocks of migrating birds and reflects that this abundance will not be a common sight in years to come.
Birds of a Feather
John James Audubon, French-American,
1785-1851
Pigeon Hawk (detail)
Plate 92, from Birds of America Current name: Merlin, Falco columbarius
“When the Reed-birds, the Redwings, and Soras, shall have become so scarce... when the margins of our rivers shall have been drained and ploughed to the very tide-mark; when the Grouse shall have to be protected by gamelaws; when Turkeys shall no longer be met with in the wild state; - how strange will the tale which I now tell sound in the ears of those who may walk along the banks of these rivers, and over the fields which have occupied the place of these marshes!” Audubon
Audubon describes the pigeon hawk hunting amongst huge flocks of migrating birds and reflects that this abundance will not be a common sight in years to come.