You Can Now Download 435 Bird Illustrations by Legendary John James Audubon for Free

Louisiana Heron Audubon Print

Louisiana Heron

The beauty of birds is as magical as it is diverse. Wildlife artist John James Audubon, namesake of the National Audubon Society, dedicated his talents to painting and describing all of the bird species of America, eventually culminating in his seminal Birds of America: a collection of 435 life-size prints based off of his own illustrations. Painted en plein air, John Audubon’s bird prints have long been coveted for their exactness as well as their outstanding beauty.

Now, the Audubon Society’s newly redesigned website displays all 435 reproductions of John Audubon’s work in alphabetical order with original accompanying text from the 1800s. And the best part is that you can also download all of The Birds of America plates in high resolution for free! Among the extensive library are favorites like the snowy owl, the Columbian humming bird, and the Louisiana heron, as well as bird species that are no longer found today, like the passenger pigeon.

All you need is a printer and paper to start curating your own collection of Audubon bird prints for around the home. Scroll down to see a selection of just some of our favorites.

John James Audubon painted and described all of the bird species he saw in America.

American Avocet Audubon Print

American Avocet

Long-tailed or Dusky Grous

Long-tailed or Dusky Grous (detail)

Louisiana Hawk Audubon Print

Louisiana Hawk (detail)

Now you can download all 435 reproductions of John Audubon's work for free via the Audubon Society's website.

Columbian Hummingbird Audubon Print

Columbian Hummingbird

Columbian Hummingbird Audubon Print

Columbian Hummingbird Audubon Print (detail)

Passenger Pigeon Audubon Print

Passenger Pigeon

American Crow Audubon Print

American Crow

Double-crested Cormorant Audubon Print

Double-crested Cormorant

Puffin Audubon Print

Puffin

Snowy Owl Audubon Print

Snowy Owl

Audubon: Website | Facebook | Instagram

h/t: [Open Culture]

All images via National Audubon Society.

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Margherita Cole

Margherita Cole is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and illustrator based in Southern California. She holds a BA in Art History with a minor in Studio Art from Wofford College, and an MA in Illustration: Authorial Practice from Falmouth University in the UK. She wrote and illustrated an instructional art book about how to draw cartoons titled 'Cartooning Made Easy: Circle, Triangle, Square' that was published by Walter Foster in 2022.
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