John James Audubon ( April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was born Jean-Jacques Audubon in the French colony of Haiti. Young Audubon was interested in nature and birds. Because of this fascination, he decided to observe, record and draw all birds in North America. This work became world famous and is still considered one of the most important reference works in the field of birds.
His major work, a color-plate book entitled The Birds of America (1827–1839), is considered one of the finest ornithological works ever completed. Audubon is also known for having identified 25 new species.