Birds Through an Opera Glass

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The first-ever field guide to American birds, Florence A. Merriams classic Birds Through an Opera-Glass remains a highly influential book for modern birdwatching more than 130 years since its initial release.

Birds Through an Opera-Glass is Florence A. Merriams pioneering field guide to American birds. The first-ever of its kind, originally published in 1889, it laid the foundation for modern birdwatching. Before Birds Through an Opera-Glass, it was commonplace to shoot birds and study their lifeless bodies. Merriam instead advocated studying birds in the wildthrough an opera glass rather than a riflescopeto ensure their preservation. With line drawings and detailed descriptions of seventy common species, Birds Through an Opera-Glass remains a favorite of birders, nature lovers, and conservationists to this day.

As the first female member of the American Ornithologists Union, Merriam was a trailblazer in the emerging field of birding in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Today she is regarded as an essential early voice for bird conservation, and Birds Through an Opera-Glass shows her important principles put into practice. More than a century later, Birds Through an Opera-Glass continues to guide birders and outdoor enthusiasts who are seeking to enjoy nature without harming it.