The Birds That Audubon Missed

Discovery and Desire in the American Wilderness

By: Kenn Kaufman

Narrated by: Mack Sanderson

Renowned naturalist Kenn Kaufman examines the scientific discoveries of John James Audubon and his artistic and ornithologist peers to show how what they saw (and what they missed) reflects how we perceive and understand the natural world.

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, as a way of examining the history of natural sciences and nature art. He shows how our understanding of birds continues to gain clarity, even as some mysteries persist from Audubon’s time until ours.

©2024 Kenn Kaufman (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

Kaufman’s breadth

This was a fascinating story about the early birding history of the US, but it was perfectly blended with Kaufman’s personal experiences and how recent birding has evolved.

The narrator was great to listen to, but he consistently mispronounced about half a dozen bird names (e.g. bobolink). Actually the English language is so messed up - he pronounced phonetically. Why didn’t a birder proof the narration? Get AI in there to edit it.

New insights on the history of North American ornithology presented in an engaging and interesting way.

I’ve always been a student of history and science, two subjects that fascinate me. Thirty years ago I started birding by myself without knowing that such a thing existed. Now birding occupies most of my leisure time and when I’m not out birding I love to read history or natural science. Here Mr. Kauffman hits all my interests in this very enjoyable book. Thanks Kenn Kauffman!

Engaging and informative

I enjoyed this book start to finish. Kenn Kaufman crafted a thoughtful, educational, and entertaining narrative about the ornithological landscape of the early United States. I definitely recommend this to anyone interested in birds and history. And I'll definitely listen to it again.

Great History Lesson

Lean concise writing. Excellent selection of topics and historical characters. Enjoyable read start to finish.

Wonderful intoxicated.

I will undoubtedly read this/ listen to this again, but there are portions of it that seem unnecessarily scattered. Still a 5/5. I enjoy the intertwining of personal stories and the history.

There is a good amount of political discussion and presentism that some may disagree with, but the author addresses it well and I think those interested in the argument will find this a valuable resource. Great job Mr. Kaufman!

I LOVE the audible version of this book

I purchased the audible version of this book and I’m so glad I did!
Listening to Mack Sanderson was a real treat. A stunning voice with rich shades of meaning, a facility and a flow which makes you feel beautifully at home. His perfect pronunciation of different languages, from Latin, French, Italian, German, to Icelandic, to idiosyncratic local tongues is impressive. My serious interest in birds drew me to this particular book, but I’d enjoy listening to this voice even if it was narrating the phone book! Kaufman approaches the subject from an unusual angle, which is inspiring - somehow a new genre of science combined with oral tradition. The way he observes birds and describes them humanizes them. I enjoyed his vivid descriptions. His personal curiosity is palpable. In this book, Kaufman studies birds and those who have studied birds. He discusses Wilson, Audubon, and other ornithologists. He holds a wide lens but then goes in with a very close-up lens that creates an intimacy with the world of birds, wonderfully conveyed by Sanderson’s voice. We meet the Gray-cheeked Thrush that came to Kaufman’s backyard during the Covid pandemic, we learn that there are more than three dozen species of warblers and over two hundred twenty species of shorebirds. We learn how birds might appear the same, but are in fact so varied and different - if only we could see.
Kaufman finds himself wondering what those birds that Audubon missed would look like in Audubon’s paintings - somehow visualizing what was not there and imagining seeing something through a representation of it that doesn’t exist - which is fascinating. The author himself is trying to emulate Audubon’s work. He strives to represent minute details in the style of Audubon. But in the end, he abandons that for the pursuit of his own style, and inner vision. The author humbly admits that no mastering of a mathematical formula is going to produce artwork similar to Audubon’s. What Kaufman values in Audubon’s work is the essence of his inner vision. He maturely acknowledges Audubon’s talent in spite of Audubon’s serious flaws of character.
Just as well Audubon missed some of the birds he missed. Here comes Kaufman who belongs to a time where tracking and communication is more effective, and he brings many insights. The fictional aspect of Kaufman’s narrative is interesting. I found myself intrigued by characters such as the driver who picked him up when he was hitchhiking at the age of 17. I wanted to know more about the old woman with “kind wrinkles”, but she has no relevance to the bird narrative. This is to say that Kaufman has a skill for fiction writing - perhaps that’s what will come next from him! This book brings an awareness of the nuances and variations of the richness of the world around us. It awakens the desire to look at nature and brings to the fore just how much we can miss if we don’t look. In that way this book is a valuable contribution to the celebration of nature. Sanderson’s beautiful narration brings an intimate encounter with a precious world.