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| Coloured engraving of a Red Kite in Albin's book |
VERY few birders will have heard of Eleazar Albin but, as both writer and artist, he was one of ornithology's pioneers.
Thought to have been born in Germany in 1680 and to have spent part of his childhood in Jamaica, he then lived most of his adult life in Piccadilly, Central London.
His chief interest seems to have been in painting studies of spiders and insects, but he was also the author and illustrator - possibly assisted by his daughter, Elizabeth - of A Natural History of Birds which was published in instalments between 1731-38.
The text concentrates mainly on the plumage and anatomy of his chosen species, but unfortunately his narrative offers no clue to the extent of their distribution.
For instance, in his account of the Red Kite, he offers no clue as to whether persecution was, even in his time, leading to its decline.
However, he probably contributed to their unpopularity by writing: "They are a great destroyer of chickens, ducklings and goslings, being so so bold as to come and take them out of the gardens or courtyards of houses."
From the same book: Kestrel (above) and Sparrowhawk
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