Chiurlo Dal Becco Lungo
1827-1838
Meet the Long-billed Curlew, a bird with a beak so long and curved it looks like a scimitar. Audubon placed these two against the backdrop of Charleston, South Carolina, showing them in their natural coastal habitat rather than as stiff specimens. This image is a plate from his legendary 'Birds of America,' a book so massive—nicknamed the 'Double Elephant Folio'—that it was the largest printed book in the world at the time. He wanted to show every bird in North America at life-size, which meant some pages had to be absolutely huge!