Google Doodle fetes naturalist Audubon

Search giant Google paid tribute on Tuesday to French-American naturalist and painter John James Audubon by dedicating a doodle to him. A Google Doodle on Google’s homepage Tuesday (www.google.com) featured various birds on trees. Clicking on the doodle led to the search results for Audubon. Hovering the mouse over the doodle will generate the message, “226th birthday of John James Audubon." The doodle followed an Earth Day animated doodle last April 22, which featured animals and plants that interacted with a user’s mouse or pointing device. Audubon, born April 26, 1785 (died 1851), was described as early America's "dominant wildlife artist." "His seminal Birds of America, a collection of 435 life-size prints, quickly eclipsed Wilson’s work and is still a standard against which 20th and 21st century bird artists, such as Roger Tory Peterson and David Sibley, are measured," said an article on the National Audubon Society. "Today, the name Audubon remains synonymous with birds and bird conservation the world over," it added. He died at age 65 and is buried in the Trinity Cemetery at 155th Street and Broadway in New York City. "Audubon’s story is one of triumph over adversity; his accomplishment is destined for the ages. He encapsulates the spirit of young America, when the wilderness was limitless and beguiling. He was a person of legendary strength and endurance as well as a keen observer of birds and nature. Like his peers, he was an avid hunter, and he also had a deep appreciation and concern for conservation; in his later writings he sounded the alarm about destruction of birds and habitats. It is fitting that today we carry his name and legacy into the future," the society said. — TJD, GMA News