Roger Tory Peterson

Artist / Naturalist

Date Of Birth:

28 August 1908

Date Of Death:

28 July 1996

Place Of Birth:

Jamestown, New York

Roger Tory Peterson was an artist and avid birder who revolutionized the world of bird-watching when he published his Field Guide to Birds in 1934. His detailed paintings and a simplified method of identifying birds helped to make birding a popular hobby. The guide was so successful that Peterson's system was applied to all manner of flora and fauna.

Extra Credit

Before Peterson came along, the world’s reigning painter of birds was John J. Audubon.

See also:

Alfred Russel Wallace