THE WORLD'S Tenoutstanding MOST artists talk about their ten favorite ONE OF THE rea- sons that so many birds. Eleven peopleare drawn to birds is their essential BEAUTIFUL birds were beauty.Their subde shapesand colors, the eleganceof their chosenby more leatheredflight, the BIRDS than one artist: nuances of their bal- task. Several of the artists made the ance,and the splendid combination American Swallow- of theirnatural markings make them pointthat we might have ended up amongthe most alive and aestheti- with avastly different list by asking ten tailed Kite (4) callyappealing creatures inthe world. differentartists•r by askingthe ResplendentQuetzal (4) We aresimultaneously intrigued by sameartists on a differentday. None Blue Bird of Paradise (3) theirvibrance and fascinated by their of themventured to givean objective visualsimplicity. The moreardently definitionof"beauty." Rather, each of Wood Duck (3) we observethem, the moremysteri- theirchoices reflected very personal American Avocet (2) aesthetics. ousthey become. Short-eared Owl (2) But whatwould you say if some- In fact,there were several surprises oneasked you to nameyour ten most which sometimesrevealed more about Northern Pintail (2) beautifulbirds in the world? We posed the artiststhan the birdsthey chose. Common Loon (2) thisquestion toten extremely accom- Some,including Al Gilbertand Guy plishedand respected bird painters. Tudor, said they lived for the thrill of Golden-breasted Their choices were as varied as their spottingextremely rare birds. "There Starling (2) styles,but there was one thing they all shouldbe a tantalizingrarity as nature Wilson'sPhalarope (2) agreedon: With 9000 beautiful birds generallyconceals its mostbrilliant worldwideto choosefrom, narrowing gemsin impenetrablejungles or Scissor-tailed the list downto ten wasa daunting mountainforests," said Gilbert. Oth- Flycatcher(2) ers,such as Cindy House and Diane AI Gilbertcalls the ResplendentQuetzal Pierce,revealed their affection for birds "the quintessentialbogon, an emerald, gold,and ruby jewel set bynature in her a little closer to home. "The more byEllen Alcorn and mostmagnificent backdrop, the cloud familiaryou arewith a bird,"said Laura Schenone forest." Dale Zimmermansays it's "spec- House, "the more beautiful it be- tacular,with its brilliantgreen and brenzy greeniridescence, bright red underparts, comes,even if it's a commonbird." and white outer tail feathers." As Doug Bearingthis out, the Mourning Dove Pratt pointsout, "that's goingas far as made Pierce'slist, becauseit sits in a youneed without getting fancy. The quet- nest outside her kitchen window. zal is a veryelegant bird withoutbeing gaudy."Photograph/Michael Fogden. Someof theartists, including John Volume 45, Number 2- 201 LarsJonsson soys he's painted the Arctic Tern endlessly. "Elegant would be the word for this bird," he soys, "becauseofthe way it flies,the proportions ofits wings, its weightlessness through the air." He's also drawn to its colors, "thedeep neutral gray of the body, its dark cap and very deep crimson beak." Photograph/Arthur Morris/VIREO.

O'Neill and Dale Zimmerman, fa- a pieceof abstractsculpture with no warmto cool,red to yellow,like a vored brilliant-hued birds. Swedish emotions."When asked to respond to spectacularsunset." painterLars Jonsson, on the other thisseeming contradiction, hesays, "I PerhapsLarsJonsson's sensibility hand,preferred the stark simplicity of thinkone can really enjoy something can be best explained by the fact that blackand white birds, including the forone reason and something else for hisnative country of Swedenis dark EuropeanAvocet. theexact opposite reason. Part of my six monthsout of the year.At first In the end, whetherthey chose philosophyisthat variety." glance,some of his favorites might be birdshalfway around the world or in surprising,even downright strange. theirown backyards, Rainbow Lori- Butas a whole,Jonsson's listconveys keetsor starkNorthern Ravens,these Bateman: a distinctive aesthetic.Two of his fa- artistsall wound up offering the same "The EveningGrosbeak voritecolors, black and white, aren't thing:a freshway of lookingat old evencolors at all andthat's precisely friends. changesfrom dark to light, the appeal."There's nothing there. warmto cool,red to yellow, Youhave to fill it all in yourself.It's Robert Bateman is a Toronto-based likegoing into the night, or having a artistwho says he's "in favor of birds of like a spectacularsunset." blankwhite piece of paper. Anything prey.I likethings that are fierce-look- couldhappen, but you have to imag- ing. Beautifuldoesn't have to mean Bateman'saesthetic sensibility runs ine it." wimpy or sweet."His list confirms toward the subtlercolors in wildlife. "I ForJonsson, mystery and simplic- thispredilection: Four out of theten justcan't imagine choosing a macaw ity areopposite sides of a coin,and birdsare predators, including the Sec- sittingin a hibiscus.It's too much." he'sequally attracted to each.His retaryBird, white Gyrfalcon, African Instead, he's drawn to birds whose favoritebird is the European Avocet, FishEagle (which he saysis "better colors are a delicate modulation of he says,because "it's like a minimal thana BaldEagle in everyway"), and shades.The EveningGrosbeak, for pieceof art. It's white with only a few the American Swallow-tailed Kite. instance,"is a wonderfulexample, black strokes of thebrush. It repre- Conversely,the CommonLoon's modulatingin toneand color from a sentselegance in its purest meaning." lackof ferocity isprecisely what draws purpleyrust to thatclean canary yel- Similarly,he's attracted to the Ameri- Bateman to it. "The loon is almost like low.It changesfrom dark to light, can Golden-Plover because"it's such 208-American Birds, Summer 1991 Jonsson'ß ARTISTS'CHOICES

"The EuropeanAvocet is like ROBERT BATEMAN ROGERTORY PETERSON 1. SecretaryBird 1. Common Peafowl(Peacock) a minimalpiece of art. 2. SandhillCrane (juvenile) 2. ResplendentQuetzal 3. Gyrfalcon(white morph) 3. Golden Pheasant It representselegance in its 4. AfricanFish Eagle 4. Rainbow Lodkeet 5. AmericanSwallow-tailed Kite 5. Scarlet Macaw purestmeaning." 6. Common Loon 6. anytanager 7. HoodedMerganser 7. Greater Bird of Paradise a beautiful combination of rather 8. Black-billedMagpie 8. SuperbLyrebird 9. EveningGrosbeak 9. RoseateSpoonbill simpleelements. The upperpart is 10. Tundra Swan 10. Carmine Bee-eater like a pieceof Arcticground with differentstones, pebbles, and herbs. AL GILBERT DIANE PIERCE Beneathhe is entirelyblack, which 1. ResplendentQuetzal 1. SnowyEgret allowshim to hide from predators. It's 2. Crested(Rheinard's) Argus 2. ElegantTrogon 3. PrinceRuspoli's Turaco 3. American Avocet a perfectand imaginative combina- 4. Blue Bird of Paradise 4. American Swallow-tailed Kite tion."Conversely, it's not the North- 5. KingBird of Paradise 5. Scissor-tailedFlycatcher ernRaven's simplicity that appeals to 6. WesternTragopan 6. Wood Duck Jonsson,but ratherthe fact that the 7. Sdater's Monal 7. MourningDove or the Chinese Monal 8. WesternTanager bird "conveyssomething wild. The 8. Horned Guan 9. Bar-headed Goose raven'sneck takes all the light; it gives 9. AfricanPygmy Kingfisher 10. Baikal Teal nolight at all. It's as black as anything 10. Lammergeier can be." DOUG PRATI' CINDY HOUSE 1. ResplendentQuetzal PerhapsJonsson's most surprising 1. American Avocet 2. Wood Duck entryis the Garden Warbler, abird he 2. Northern Pintail 3. American Swallow-tailed Kite admits"people don't caremuch 3. Black-necked Stilt 4. PurpleGallinule about."But he'sattracted to it by its 4. Short-eared Owl 5. White (Fairy)Tern 6. Iiwi "blackeye which has so much spirit 5. Black-leggedKittiwake 6. Golden-wingedWarbler 7. Scissor-tailedFlycatcher in it. Thebird has genuine character." 7. Wilson'sPhalarope (female) 8. Purple-throatedCarib In theend, Jonsson says he doesn't ask 8. Northern Cardinal (female) 9. Red-leggedHoneycreeper himself whether one bird is more 9. HarlequinDuck 10. Swallow-tailed Gull beautiful than another. "I'm attracted 10. Northern Harrier GUY TUDOR to certainbirds because they move LARS JONSSON (whoprefers not to rank his somethinginside of me." 1. EuropeanAvocet •vorite birds) 2. Common Loon AgamiHeron 3. American Golden-Plover Crescent-facedAntpitta 4. Arctic Tern Gambel'sQuail Zimmerman: 5. Northern Pintail Golden-breastedStarling Mountain Toucan 6. GoldenEagle "Some of the birds made me 7. Northern Raven Purple-crownedFairy 8. Garden Warbler Red-breasted Goose gasp,break out in goose 9. Short-eared Owl Schalow's Turaco Turquoise-browedMotmot pimples,and becomelight- 10.Wilson's Phalarope DALE ZIMMERMAN headed when I first saw JOHN P. O'NEILL 1. Versicolored Barbet l. Golden-breastedStarling 2. Blue Bird of Paradise 2. Blue Bird of Paradise them." 3. Malachite Sunbird 3. Blue-tailed Pitta 4. Garnet Pitta 4. BlueVanga 5. Common Poorwill For Dale Zimmerman, a New 5. Plum-throatedCodnga Mexico bird illustrator,color is crudal 6. Orange-earedTanager 6. ResplendentQuetzal 7. Wood Duck tohis way of seeing. No dullred, blue, 7. Temminck'sTragopan 8. Golden-browedChlorophonia 8. Turquoise-browedMotmot orgreen for Zimmerman, but rather 9. SapphireQuail-Dove 9. American Swallow-tailedKite "brightcrimson," "opalescent blue," 10. Buff-bridled Inca-Finch 10. BohemianWaxwing and "bronzygreen iridescence." In describing his favorite birds Volume 45, Number 2- 209 Zimmermanvirtually paints them for the listener. "The Golden-breasted Stating,"he says, "is absolutely gor- geouswith its satiny iridescent greens, intensemetallic purples and bronze, andunique rich golden-yellow under- parts.It hascreamy white eyes, ac- centedby velvetyblack lores, which somehow make the bird seem ever more alive." In fact, there are seven almostblindingly-colorful birds on his list. Evenso, he says, "colorful birds are not necessarilythe mostbeautiful." TheScarlet Macaw is an elusive bird, which is partlywhy Roger Tory Peterson finds Plumagepattern, feather texture, car- it soenticing. "When I've seen them," he says, "they've always been fiyi.g over the riage,and demeanor all figureinto forest.I've never see. them at a closera.ge." Photograph/Michael Fogden. what Zimmerman calls the "overall beautyequation." The truetest of a beautifulbird, he says, is whether or not "it rousesnotable emotion. Some of thesebirds made me gasp, break out into goosepimples, and become light-headedwhen I firstsaw them." Pierce: "We havea MourningDove nesting outside our window.Its lovelydark JohnO'Neill loves the colorful Golden-brewed Clorophonia. "It hasthis incrediblebrilliant emerald-green andsky-blue spot on top of the head, and a eye with blue ringsstares widegolden-yellow eyebrow. Where you see them, it's often very mis•. They'relike little jewels in the fog." Photograph/Michael Fogden. at us througha canopy of leaves."

Thehardest thing about writing up a listof favorite birds for painter Diane Piercewas having to leave out"a lot of old friends." She tends to favor birds notout of a particularaesthetic, but outof personalexperiences. She first becameacquainted with an Elegant Trogonin theChiricahua Mountains. "Hedidn't like long lenses pointing at him, but he didn't seemto mind me sketchinghim, which was quite acom- pliment,"she remembers. "He would ß • ß • .• , ß ,..%•,•,• , fly to catchinsects and come back to perch.I feltso strongly about him I wasready to moveout there so I could '•e Peac•khas •, •au•, size,and •," •ys RogerTo• Pete•n. Hisfavo•e liveby him.I've been dreaming of memo•of Peac• wasof s•i• th• ona R•ah'se• inIndia, •au• '•o I•k paintingthe trogon ever since." atth• intheir •al envimnm•twas a I• mo• fun."Photograp•teve •n•n. Shehas aMourning Dove nesting 210- AmericanBirds, Summer 1991 Dale Zimmermansays the Golden- breastedStarling was the first birdto come to his mind becauseof its "satiny iridescentgreens, intense metallic purples and bronze,rich golden-yellowunder- parts,and a longexpressive tail enhanc- ing the slenderbuild." He's also drawn to it beca it's a re tless wild bird 'nkedin ,• .*acacia trees, ,, s, el nts,rhinos, and kudus." GuyTudor sa e' , ße bird with its "rich ultra arine top, and ol, *n- Ilow be .w. It's a pret'wsnappy bi , ' Phot .... *., Williams. GuyTudor is attractedto black-and-whitepatterned birds "with a splash of a third color. I couldn't leave the Red-breasted Goose off a list of beautiful birds," he says."It's very dramatic,with a bandof white and maroonchestnut. It's an incredible-lookingbird." PhotograplV¸ LeonardLee Rue II.

Nearly half the artists namedthe AmericanSwallow-tailed Kite as one of the most beautiful birds for its grace in motion. Diane Pierce calls the bird "the quintessenceof airborne beautyand of freedom. It seems part of the sky." Robert Batemansays that seeingthe kite flying overhead"was a very memorablemoment in my ornithologicalexperience." He saysthey remind him of old war planes,the waythey "almostcover the sky wingtip to wing tip." Dale Zimmermanconsiders the bird ''the epitomeof grace and ethereal beauty.No matter what other birdsare in view,when an AmericanSwallow- tailed Kite wheelsoverhead, it commandsattention until it sails on by, always leavingme wanting more." DougPratt says that "a swallow-tailedkite would be beautiful in a black-and-whitephoto, whereasa quetzal probably wouldn't." Uke the others, Pratt cites the bird's grace, calling it "a wonderful acrobat.Wherever you see it, it's a joy." Photograph/BrianK. Wheeler/VIREO.

212 - American Birds, Summer 1991 Ro,-r•:•. tehran isß *.cted to Secrepredatory• • •irds•.butBird, ,, iches,*lie says *-I fiam, .nt , eleg.•ofall pre•,he-*.•.eca,''-:. , ßBir•-his your,tltawa• ,-,..;,the , theSh, - a , •. ,-au Lars J, - - •'i - wa r/e,c , egr, .n • a ed ,. , ,,wit

:, - ,-so ro, ß , , r.ß , ,.appe. abl. o•-w tl•t-,•.roun,. ß ß._ * p =a, or•e, aut•ul • ,•, -e•la'.." Sw•en,our ,Ik sic•s a , , draw , •r • richb•. aa, da•.w. • il':htolo•. i.'O.ce •" Ci.dyI went Hou•out for a alk, • he .y and a groupof -. -, • Isfle}v up from t - '-, once•_'l'hey- e•6 silhoueq ßthe turquoisesky just ,efote e Photogra,, im Daniel. outside her lutchen window, which GuyTudor, too, finds the thrfil of precludedher from leaving it off the Gilbert: spottingarare bird irresistible. "Many hst."We look out and see this lovely birdshave been photographed bynow, darkeye with blue rings staring at us "Naturegenerally conceals andfor me, this lessens the appeal," he throughacanopy of leaves," she says. says."It's sort of like infatuation. The And she fell in love with the Western its mostbrilliant gems in lesssomething is known,the more Tanacerthe first time she saw one in impenetrablejungles or beautifulit seems.I like mysteries." CaveCreek Canyon. "He flew in and Someof his choiceswould prove satfluffed in thesunshine. The light mountain forests." dauntingto eventhe most intrepid on his head was so red I don't think bird photographer, including youcould paint it. Forthis reason, out winter.They are beautiful in theblue- Schalow'sTuraco, the Crescent-faced ofall the tanagers, he struck me as the greenwater and waves. They swim Antpitta--"everybody'sfavorite, be- most beautiful." aroundthe rocks,and when the foam causeyou can't see it"--the Purple- Forpainter Cindy House, familiar- comesin they'realmost camouflaged. crowned Fairy hummingbird, and the •tybreeds fondness. "The more famil- Partof the beautyof the bird is the AgamiHeron, a birdTudor says has a iaryou are with a bird,"she says, "the experienceof seeing it in theocean." "lot of cache"by virtueof its dark more beautiful it becomes. Even if it's Sometimes,says House, you can't beautyand extreme rarity. a commonbird•in fact,especially if separatethe beauty of a birdfrom its •t'sa commonbird--because you're environment. lookingat it in a totallynew way." A bird'shabitat is equallyimpor- Tudor: Not surprisingly,House's favorite tantto painter AI Gilber•though his "It's sort of like infatuation. birds are limited to North American preferencescouldn't be morediffer- species."I couldn't put birds I've never ent: "Thereshould be a tantalizingThe lesssomething is seenon the list," she says. Also, tropi- rarityas nature generally conceals its known,the morebeautiful it calsettings are unfamiliar, and in some mostbrilliant gems in impenetrable ways,unappealing toher. "When you junglesor mountainforests." Gilbert seems.! like mysteries." go into a rainforest,you're over- is an adventurer who thrives on the whelmedby a wall of green. I prefer to thrillof seeing exotic birds. He's trav- Tudoris not particularly impressed puta birdinto a habitat that has more eled far and wide to see some of the byabird's form. Rather, he says, "birds textureto it." For that reason, she says, birdson his list, suchas the Lammer- arepretty much the same. They've all "I morereadily would paint a Black- geier."The bird is known in theBible gotheads and beaks. All theirfeathers neckedStilt than I woulda Resplen-as the bone breaker, becauseof its gothe same way." For him, the color dentQuetzal." habit of carryingbones, dropping andpattern of a birdare much more themto break,and then eating the importantconsiderations. He divides marrow.I had to goto Hell'sGate in hisfavorite birds into threeseparate House: Kenyato seethat." categories,and in noparticular order. Others of his favorite birds he's The first is birds with black and white '*the morefamiliar you nevereven seen, and may never see, feathers,"with a splashof a third are with a bird,the more suchas the Crested Argus. His list also color,"particularly red, such as the includesPrince Ruspoli's Turaco, a Red-breastedGoose. Second, he's at- beautiful it becomes." rareAfrican bird, though "even more tractedto birdswith veryintricately tantalizingwould be the apparentlypatterned black and white and/or earth Sheprefers the Northeastern land- new species,glimpsed but as yet colors,such as Gambel'sQuail. "A scapein thefall and winter because undescribed by Andrewand John birdwatchermay not thinkmuch of "youcan see the limbs of the trees, the Williamsin Uganda'simpenetrable the bird, but as a painteryou appreci- deadstumps in themarsh. When the forest." There are beautiful birds he ate the colors--the chestnut,and the greencomes, it's a cloakthat hides the didn'tinclude, he says,such as the rich,creamy belly." His third category texture. Cattails cover the water. Grass ScarletTanacer, "because it's so easily includesbirds with "intense,saturated covers the rocks." seenit doesn'tgenerate much enthu- colors,like the sort you'd find in Eliza- A bird'shabitat is an intrinsic part siasm."Even so, Gilbert knows his bethanclothing." The key hereis of itsappeal to House.In describinglimits: He didn'tinclude the Ivory- simplepatterns of no more than three the Harlequin Duck, she says, billedWoodpecker, "but I wouldhave colors. "There'sa place in RhodeIsland that in a secondifI thoughtthere was any Tudor'soverriding criterion is that hasa largeflock of harlequinsin the chanceat allof seeingit." a birdoffer fleeting visions of great Volume 45, Number 2 ß215 DougPratt says Fairy Terns "don't know how cute they are." Thepure white bird has a ringaround the eye "whichmakes the eyelook twice as bigas it is. Thebird has a baby-facedlook, and is quiteendearing." He is also drawnto the tern because"it is an extremelydelicate and gracefulbird on the wing.When you get neara tree that hasa nestof chicks,it comesand hovers around you in a waythat is angel-like."Photograph/Sidney Bahrt. beauty."I liketrotting down a path in brant-hued birds, such as the Plum- the rainforestwhen suddenly a rare throatedCotinga, with its "solid elec- birdcomes out and then quickly dis- tric turquoise,plum purplethroat, Pratt: appears,"he says."That's my ideaof andyellow eye, just like a Christmas "A bird can be beautiful birdwatching." tree ornament." O'Neill is particularlydrawn to without being colorful." birdsthat draw sharp constrast totheir O'Neill: habitats,such as the Versicolored Bar- plumes.But I wouldn'tsay they have "Golden-browed bet,a bright-coloredbird that often notaste, because that would blaming fishesfood out of dead leaves."Often the victim." Chlorophoniasare like little timesyou'll see bits and pieces of it Prattdoes include acouple of "nods throughdull, brownish, dead leaves, jewelsin the fog." to thetropical gaudy thing," if some- and thenthis red, yellow, blue, and whatbegrudgingly, such as the Purple- greenbird will justpop out into the throatedCarib. "To some extent I put John O'Neill is a well-knownbi- open."And Golden-browedChloro- thaton thelist to representall hum- ologistand painter who's been study- phonias"have this brilliant emerald- mingbirds.I thought, even for a hum- ing birdsfor overthree decades, but greenand sky-blue spot on the top of mingbirdit hassome interesting col- he'snever lost the pure thrill of spot- thehead, and golden yellow eyebrows. ors." tinga brilliantbird popping out of They'relike little jewels in thefog." But mostly,Pratt looks for under- someunderbrush. Like Tudor, helives H. DouglasPratt, whodescribes stated elegance, grace, and form. "A for thefleeting vision of a rareexotic his interest in bird illustration as "a birdcan be beautiful without being bird. "In a museum,you're free to hobbythat got out of hand,"is one colorful,"he says."A swallow-tailed lookat birdsfrom everyangle," he artistwho "gets a littletired" of bright kite is a wonderful acrobat. It would says."But in thewild, you take what tropicalbirds. That's especially true of be beautiful in a black-and-white youcan get." He'd pre•r to takevi- birdsof paradise, "who have too many photo,whereas a quetzalprobably 216. American Birds, Summer 1991 this RogerTory Petersoncamc out with Peterson: article are amongthe most accom- thc first A Field Guide to the Birds in plishedand prolificbird painters in 1934. Sincethen, dozens of artistshavc "What I look for is the basic the world. Their renderingshave contributcd theirwork to Thc Pcterson FieldGuide Series, which now includes stanceor gestaltof a species." appearedin books,museums, and galleries.Listed below is a sampling bookson various plants andwildlifc. In of some of their best work. additionto the birdguides, Peterson has made scvcralfilms, including wouldn'tbe." Similarly,says Pratt, Robert Bateman's work has been WatchingBirds. Hc hasreceived virtu- whatthe Fairy Tern doesn'thave in allyevery major award in thefields of colorit makesup for in grace."This shownin severalmajor North Ameri- cangalleries, induding the Smithsonian ornithology and naturalhistory, in- birdis pure white," he says, "except for Institution. He is the author of TheArt dudingthc Presidential Medal of Free- dom. aring of black feathers around the eye ofRobert Bateman; The Worldof Robert whichgives it a baby-facedlook and Bateman;and RobertBateman: An Art- makesit quiteendearing. When you ist in Nature.He currentlylives in DianePierce is a wildlifepainter who has recendyconcentrated solcly on getnear atree that has a nest of chicks, Toronto, Ontario. birds.Her work includesa 29-piece, theycomes and hover around you in AI Gilbert's most rccentbooks include privately-commissionedworkon the anangel-like way. What they're actu- birdsof Florida,as well as34 full-color TheReader • Digest Book ofNorthAmeri- allytrying to do is intimidate you, but can Birds and the Audubon Master plates,which she painted for National theydon't know how cute they are." Guideto Birding.He alsoillustrated Geographic's Birds of NorthAmerica RogerTory Peterson has perhaps Curassowsand Related Birds and Eagles, fieldguide. hadmore influence on theway we see Hawks,and Falcons ofthe World He is birdsthan any otherperson alive. currendyplanning two books on the H. DouglasPratt is a lecturcrand Petersonhas spent his life carefully trogansand toucans of thcworld. ornithologicalconsultant, aswell as a leadingbird artist. His paintingshave paintingthousands of birds. "Each been shown in museums nationwide. bird is different," he once said, "and CindyHouse has had dozens ofexhibi- He is the author and illustrator of A what I look for is the basic stance or tions. Permanent collections of her work can be found at The Audubon FieldGuide to the Birds of Hawaii and gestaltof a species. For this it isneces- Societyof RhodeIsland, The Massa- theTropicalPacific. Hiscurrent projects saryto go out and look at a lot of birds." chusettsAudubon Society, and The includeEnjoying Birds in Hawaii,a His list, which includesthe Pea- LeighYawkey Woodson Art Museum tapccollection ofHawaiian bird songs, cock,Resplendent Quetzal, and the inWisconsin. She is currendy working anda monographonHawaiian honey- GreaterBird of Paradise,reveals a love on A Field Guide to Warblersin the creepersfor Oxford University Press. for colorful exoticbirds. But for a man Peterson Field Guide Series. GuyTudor is a birdpaintcr who has a who haspainted as manydifferent passionfor Neotropicalbirds. His kindsof birdsas he has, it's important LarsJonsson isthe author and illustra- tor of Birds in Nature, a five-volume booksindude A Guideto theBirds of Colombiaand A Guideto theBirds of to keepan open mind about what's work on the birdsof Europe.Now beautiful."There are so many differ- considered a definitive work, it has Venezuela.His work has also appeared entkinds of beauty,"he says."Birds beenpublished in seven different lan- in numerouspublications, including canbe beautiful in a colorfulway, but guages.He is currendyworking on a L/• magazineand the Encyclopedia condensedversion, due out in 1992. Britannica.He iscurrently working on beautycan also be in a mutedform." a 4-volumeopus with ornithologist Petersoniscareful to paint his sub- Othersof hisbooks include BirdlslancL Picturesj9om a Shoalof Sand, and Lars RobertRidgeley entitled The Birds of jectsdown to the most minute detail, SouthAmerica.In 1990, hewas awarded Jonsson:Bird Reflections. Helives on the andprefers to workfrom sketches island of GiStland in Sweden. a MacArthur"genius" grant. ratherthan photographs. "Sketches Dale Zimmerman has illustrated nu- aremore suggestive ofwhat the even- JohnP. O'Neillis a biologistand artist tualpicture might be," he hassaid. whohas been painting tropical birds for merousbooks, including The Birds of "Witha sketch,you can get rid of the thirtyyears. His work has been shown New Guineaand Avi•una of the in museums around the world. He is KakanegaForest of Western Kenya. Cur- clutterof a photograph;the sketch rendy,he's writing and illustrating The reallyshows more of the essence ofthe the author of Publications:Painting Birds.In addition,he haspublished Birdsof Kenya. He lives in NewMexico subject."Peterson's genius lies in his with his wife and collaborator,Marian over45 scientificpapers, and is cur- Zimmerman. understandingof the birds he paints: tenflyworking on a bookabout the "Birdsare what they are," he says. "A birdsof Peru.He livesin BatonRouge, chickadeeis not a little human dressed Louisiana. in fur. Too often,we tend to think of them in human terms." ß Volume 45, Number 2- 217