John James Audubon

Audubon's Fifty Best Watercolors, circa 2006

This Wild Turkey was originally painted by John James Audubon at Beechwoods Plantation, Feliciana Parish, Louisiana 1825. When compared to the Havell engraving the painted bird measures a full 40 inches from head to talon. The same measurement of the engraved version measures only 36 inches. This may dispell the commonly stated belief that every bird depicted in the Havell edition is actual size.