Now It's History

Now It's History

America's greatest bird lover (and killer)

The warning he left behind

Richard Galant
Jul 06, 2026
∙ Paid
John James Audubon by John Syme. (The White House Historical Association.)

John James Audubon stared at the caged bird.

“I watched his eye and observed his looks of proud disdain,” the artist wrote. The bird was more than three feet from beak to tail. Its wings could stretch as far as seven feet.

Audubon bought the golden eagle in 1833 for $14.75 from a m…

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