Bird Neighbors

Originally published in 1897, Bird Neighbors was an influential birding work by Neltje Blanchan. With color illustrations combined with scientific data, approachable language and personal experiences, the work is still regarded as one of the best birding guides ever published. The work lists the 19 habitats where birds can be found around the world, such as in woods and near salt water. The color illustrations at the end of the volume are photographs of stuffed birds. While Blanchan notes that she would have liked to take pictures of live birds in their natural habitats, the camera technology of the time limited the reader's experience as many colors of birds' bright plumage would be lost. Upon publication, the volume gained much praise and sold over 250,000 copies within its first two years on the market. This brilliant success of the colorful volume has made Blanchan the bestselling female nature writer of her time.