Natural historians of the 19th century who took an interest in birds sorted themselves into two camps: the ornithologists, who were preoccupied with morphology and taxonomy, and the bird watchers, who were attuned to the habits, songs, nesting, and other features of bird behavior. The most influential of the bird watchers was John James Audubon (1785-1851).
John James Audubon (1785-1851), Carolina Parrot (The Birds of America, Plate 26), 1827-1838, American. Hand-colored engraving and aquatint on paper. 101.6 × 66.0 cm. Courtesy of the North Carolina Museum of Art (http://ncartmuseum.org/interim/home.php), Raleigh, North Carolina; transfer from the North Carolina State Library.