Statue of John James Audubon by Alexander Stirling Calder. John James Audubon (1785-1851) was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats. His major work, a color-plate book entitled The Birds of North America (1827-1839), is considered one of the finest ornithological works ever completed. Audubon identified 25 new species and a number of new sub-species. Audubon method for drawing bird: he killed them using fine shot and then used wires to prop them into a natural position. In 1848, he manifested signs of senility, his "noble mind in ruins." He died at his family home in 1851.